


Stay With Me

by kimmsie



Category: Beetlejuice - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, I don't make the rules I just follow them, Multi, Mutual Pining, Other, Polyamory, Reader is gender neutral, Title based off a song, all soft all the time, also it takes place completely out of the beetlejuice universe, i know there are more of you out there, i'll be surprised if this gets any recognition outside of people i send it to, it's a suburban slice of life au, no deetzes, oh yeah i can't believe i'm uploading this, the maitlands are the best straight couple ever, you are all cowards if this is really the first reader insert maitlands fic on this website
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24479950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimmsie/pseuds/kimmsie
Summary: While out in the park one day, you stand up too quickly and faint in the middle of the sidewalk. A married couple brings you back to their house to help you clean up. When your life is turned upside down by financial troubles, they’re there to take you in. Thank god for low blood pressure, right?
Relationships: Adam Maitland/Barbara Maitland, Adam Maitland/Reader/Barbara Maitland
Comments: 30
Kudos: 29





	1. Strawberries, Band-Aids, and Iced Tea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this for my discord friends, but if you're here outside of it: hello! This is a bit of a niche fic but I hope anyone who wanders across it enjoys reading it just as much as I am enjoying writing it <3

_I definitely haven’t had enough water today_. You think to yourself, shielding your eyes from the sun beating down onto your little bench. You had been shaded by a tree hours before, but while caught up in your book, the shadow passed by. You fold the corner of a page and tuck the novel into your bag, taking a second to watch people walk by. _Alright_. You sigh. _Time to head home_.

You stand, albeit much too quickly, and begin to walk. Immediately feeling the consequences, you pause, putting a hand to your forehead. “Oh, shit.” You say, watching your surroundings begin to fade in and out of view. You sway and attempt to kneel to the ground but fall forward onto your knees, your bag spilling its contents on the concrete.

Your hands shake heavily and your breathing is rapid for a few moments before you return, lightheaded, and attempt to gain bearing of your surroundings. Two people have come up to you, looking extremely concerned. They kneel down, gathering your books and pencils up while you sit, still shaky. “Are you alright?” The woman asks. “That was quite a fall.”

You squint. After the blackout, the sun feels even brighter. “Yeah. Stood up too fast,” You supply with a little laugh, your head feeling fuzzy. The man, smiling, passes you the stack of notebooks and folders. You replace them in your bag, thanking him with a nod.

“You look awfully pale.” The woman says, her eyebrows furrowed with concern; she’s fidgeting with her fingers while she talks. You wince as a sharp pain registers in your knees, moving to see that they’re scraped and bloodied.

“Shit.” You mutter. This isn’t an ideal state to head back downtown.

“Do you live nearby?” The man asks, holding out an arm to help you stand. You take it gratefully, rising (slowly) to your feet with his help. 

You make a face and shrug. “It’s a decent walk.”

“Well, hey,” He glances at the woman. “We live just down the street from here. At least stop by so you can clean up those cuts.” You look skeptically at him, and then to his partner, who smiles under the brim of her floppy sunhat.

“Are you sure? I can just clean it off with the fountain, I have some tissues in my bag –“

“Gosh, no!” The woman shakes her head, looking appalled. “There’s so much dirt in there, you’d get infected. It’s no trouble.” She adjusts her dress, brushing some grass off and onto the sidewalk. “I’m Barbara.”

The man holds out his hand, which you take; it’s calloused yet soft – the hands of someone who works but is well taken care of. “Adam.” He smiles.

“_____.” You respond, hoisting your bag back up over your shoulder. “Which way are we going?”

“This way,” Adam says, motioning away from the direction you were headed.

You start to walk, favoring your left leg, which took less damage in the fall. Barbara stays at your side while Adam leads the way slightly ahead of you. “Have you eaten lately? Had water? Been in the sun too long?”

Adam chuckles, glancing over his shoulder at her. “Don’t overwhelm her, honey.”

You smile. These are good people – you like them. “Don’t worry! I’m not overwhelmed.” You sheepishly pick at a loose string on the strap of your duffel. “I’ll admit that I haven’t had anything to eat or drink in a while, though. And I might have sunburn when tomorrow rolls around.”

“Then I’ll make us all some lunch when we get home. Are sandwiches okay? We have turkey and ham. I think some leftover chicken, too.” Barbara perks up. “Oh! And peanut butter and jelly, if you don’t eat meat!”

You nod along, unable to ignore Barbara’s enthusiasm. She’s lovely, a breath of fresh air compared to the people you’re normally around. “That’d be nice,” You admit, and enjoy the radiant smile you earn from the response. Looking at Adam, you recognize that he knows just how lovely Barbara is. All of the adoration in the world could be found in the little smile he has as he looks at her.

“It’s just up here, across the street,” Adam says, nodding his head at a very homey two-story at the end of the crosswalk. It’s painted a pale (but not sickly) yellow, the windows and trim white. There are flower boxes in each and every window, and even from where you are you can tell just how much work they’ve put into it.

“It’s wonderful!” You say as your group pauses to wait for the signal. “It suits the two of you.”

Adam’s look of adoration changes its focus to rest on you for a split second, the emotion behind it staggering. “Thank you!”

Barbara grins. “The gardens are my favorite part.” She motions towards them as you start walking again. “I started them all by myself!” She nudges Adam in the arm, laughing. “I guess you helped a little.” He shakes his head with a smile.

When you reach them, you bend over the mulch-filled plots, ignoring the stinging in your knees. “These are amazing!” They really are, too, you aren’t just saying that to make her happy. There’s a huge variety of flowers, all colors of the rainbow and then some. Tulips, roses, bleeding hearts, poppies. It’s actually stunning how well they’re all growing, healthy and unharmed.

Barbara reaches out to a small pot sitting on the edge of the, her arm brushing your shoulder. She smells like vanilla and linens, and you quickly move out of the way. She plucks something from the mass of greenery and hands you a leaf. “Guess what it is!” You pause, unsure if she’s being serious, but realize that she’s waiting expectantly.

Adam, looking on with amusement, laughs slightly as you place the herb in your mouth and chew. You make a face. “Cilantro. Tastes soapy to me.” You spit it into the lawn, wrinkling your nose. “Blech.”

“You’re right, I’m impressed!” Barbara giggles and walks back to the front door, pulling a set of keys from her skirt pocket. “I have some fresh strawberries inside. Those’ll be better than the cilantro.” She unlocks the door and pushes it open, walking inside. Adam gestures for you to follow, so you do.

The inside of the house is even cozier than the outside. The sun through a number of windows lights everything beautifully; it’s clean and modern but also old in some nostalgic way. “Oh,” You say to yourself, feeling something that you weren’t expecting to feel, something that you can’t quite name.

Adam closes the door while Barbara hangs her sunhat on a hook by it, placing the keys on the counter. “I’ll get started on lunch while Adam helps you clean up your legs!” She says, going to the kitchen to wash her hands.

“Here, sit,” Adam says, pulling out a chair from a circular table past the kitchen. You rest your bag on the floor next to it and sit down, observing the decor. A few pictures here and there, one a wedding photo – they’re married, then, – plants in almost every windowsill that you can see, and what looks to be a handmade set of dishes. He disappears into a hallway and comes back in a minute with a small wicker basket full of things. He sets it next to you and goes to wash his hands, too.

“I love your house.” You say, still looking around. That feeling you can’t place is oddly strong.

“Thank you!” Barbara chirps.

Adam dries his hands and gets a small rag from under the sink, wetting it and then wringing it out. “Alrighty. Let’s get you patched up.” He hands you the warm cloth and you gingerly pat your legs, cleaning the blood away. “How long have you lived in the area?”

“Most of my life. I’m hoping to get a new place soon, closer to this area, actually. I’m in the city now, and it isn’t my favorite.”

“We’ve been here a couple of years now, and it’s wonderful.” Barbara comments, getting containers out of the fridge. “Ham, turkey?”

“Ham, please.” When you’re done, Adam picks up the basket, taking out a little keychain-sized bottle of disinfecting spray.

“This might sting.” He warns before spritzing it. You wince slightly. It does sting. “You should move near here! The people are great and housing isn’t too expensive.”

Barbara gets some plates from a cupboard. “Do you like iced tea?”

“If sweetened, yes!” Adam puts the bottle back into the basket. “I’d love to do so, but I need to get a job that isn’t downtown first.”

“That’s how I like to make it! Lemon?”

“No, without, please!” Adam carefully lays a plaster on each of your knees, straightening up and tossing the garbage in a little trash can next to the kitchen counters.

“All set!” He says, taking the rag from you and to the sink to rinse it. “It’d be nice to have you in the neighborhood.” You smile, looking down at your lap.

“I think it would be too.” If it meant you could feel this safe and comfortable, you couldn’t help but agree.

Barbara, standing on her toes, sighs in exasperation. “Adam, can you get those for me?” She says, flattening back to her normal height. Her husband easily gets the bag of chips down from above the fridge and she kisses his cheek as thanks. “Keep us updated on the situation, then!” Barbara says. “I’ll make sure to get you my number before you leave.” She brings the sandwiches to the table, and then a pitcher of iced tea from the fridge along with three glasses.

You stand up. “Can I use the sink to wash my hands?”

“Of course!” Barbara smiles, popping open the big bag of chips and setting it on the table as well. You go to the sink and do so, returning just as Adam takes a seat.

“Thank you so much for this again,” You say, and Barbara joins you at the table.

“It’s no problem!” She says. “We wanted to make sure you were okay.” You watch Adam crunch some chips onto his sandwich and do the same.

“It means a lot. Most people in the city would’ve just walked by.” You take a bite. “I know some who would’ve tripped me.” The sandwich is delicious. You aren’t sure if it’s because of the actual quality of the food itself or the fact that you haven’t eaten in hours. “It’s great. Thank you.” You say bashfully.

Suddenly remembering something, Barbara scoots her chair back. “Oh, I forgot the strawberries!” She says, going to the fridge to get them. “Fresh picked yesterday!”

Adam smiles at you. “So, what do you do for work?”

You finish another bite, trying to slow down. You didn’t realize how hungry you were until the food was in front of you! “I work as a secretary at a law firm, but I pick up shifts at a bookstore in my area for extra cash.” You willingly take a strawberry as Barbara sets them on the table, nodding your thanks. “What about the both of you?”

Adam takes a sip of iced tea, swirling the ice around his glass. “Carpentry, mainly with commissioned projects.”

“He practically lives in the garage when he’s working,” Barbara, munching on a strawberry, pipes up. “And I’m a kindergarten teacher!”

“Oh, the kids must love you.” You say, easily imagining her in a classroom. “You’ll have to teach me something, Adam, I think woodworking is really interesting.” You pop the berry into your mouth. “These are delicious!” Once again, you’re stunned by the quality of the produce. Barbara has a big green thumb, it seems.

She smiles and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “Thank you!”

You check your phone for the time. “I can’t stay much longer — I have a late shift to take at the office.” Although you wish you didn’t have to work, you don’t vocalize it.

“Here, let’s exchange numbers, then!” Barbara suggests, and you hand over her phone.

“This might sound weird,” You say cautiously, and the couple pauses. “Have you ever gotten a sense of clarity during a moment? Of right or wrong?” You shift awkwardly in the wooden chair, trying to keep yourself from picking at the plasters. “I feel like I was supposed to meet you today. And it feels right for me to be in this house.”

The silence that lasts is just a little too long for you to feel comfortable. You feel your face turn hot and wave your hands dismissively. “Sorry, I don’t know why —“

“No,” Adam cuts you off, speaking slowly. He has a curious look on his face, though it isn’t negative. “I agree with you.”

Barbara sets your phone on the table, leaning forward. “I feel it too.” She adds with a smile.

The three of you look at each other. A hush blankets the room. No words, just the warmth from the sun and the smell of the strawberries.

Your phone buzzes and you jump slightly. The spell is broken — but it was there. “I should get going.”

“Do you need a ride?” Adam questions. The room feels strangely heavy.

“No, I’ll walk! It’s good to clear my head.” Barbara looks at the table, her expression unreadable, and you wish you hadn’t said that. “Fresh air, you know?” You bite back a cuss, feeling like you’re making the already awkward situation worse. “Thank you.” You say sincerely, standing from the table. “For the food and the Band-Aids.”

They both smile at her. “Of course!” Barbara says. “Text me when you get home safely.”

“Don’t irritate your knees too much, keep them clean,” Adam adds. “Replace the Band-Aids if you need to.”

You pick up your bag and take another strawberry. “I’ll see you again soon?”

“Absolutely.” Barbara seems excited just at the thought, and the tenseness in the room dissolves back into warmth.

Adam nods. “Keep in touch, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks again!” You respond, and they walk you to the door. When you get outside, you take a look behind you at the house. _I belong here_ , you think, surprising yourself at the thought that you can’t suppress, and begin the walk home.


	2. A Wooden Rocking Chair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun with this chapter. Though a lot of this fic was pre-written, I'm revising and adding more as needed while time goes on (when writing something for yourself, things don't need to be coherent!), and this had a lot of additional writing. Heads up because Barbara is absolutely adorable (as always)

The walk gives you a good opportunity to think about everything. You find yourself noticing more flowers along the way than you used to. There’re dandelions in people’s lawns and buttercups along the sides of their houses. _Maybe it’d be worth it to start getting into botany_ , you think, having never paid much attention to biology during school.

When you get to your apartment building, it doesn’t take long for you to start missing the greenery and bright colors of the suburban neighborhood. Everything in the city is grey and smoggy, and even the people seem dull. You let yourself in, toss your bag on the couch, and pull out your phone.

 _‘Home!’_ You text Barbara, biting back a ridiculous smile.

 _‘I fell on my walk today and the cutest people I think I’ve ever encountered took me to their house and gave me lunch’,_ You tell Ollie, who works at the bookshop with you.

You change into a set of nicer clothes for the office, brushing your hair into place as best as you possibly can. _‘People????’_ Ollie responds. ‘ _Do not tell me you’re crushing on a couple right now. This is stranger things s2 all over again.’_

You snort at the comment, filling up your water bottle from the spigot at the sink. ‘ _If I add that they’re married does it make it better?’_

You start to unpack your bag, putting the book on the coffee table to finish reading when you get a chance. ‘ _NO!!!!!’_ Ollie says, and you laugh again, grinning when you notice a response from Barbara.

‘ _Good! Take care of your knees :)’_ You force yourself to resist the urge to hug your phone to your chest. It’s been a long time since you felt so childishly excited to be talking to someone, and the feeling is one that you’ve missed. It’s innocent, really, and you know that – the joy when finding someone that you immediately click with has always felt that way.

_‘They helped me pick up my books when I fell and gave me fresh strawberries from their garden. Oliver, I think I’m in love.’_

‘ _GO TO WORK!!!’_

And you do. It’s simultaneously the shortest and longest shift that you’ve ever taken. You’re distracted, thinking about the house at the corner of the street and the warmth of the sun and how glad you are to have had the morning off. The sky is clear as you walk home from the firm, and you almost trip again while focusing on the stars. You pick out some of your favorites – Spica, Arcturus, Polaris. Another tenant says hello to you in the hallway while you’re unlocking your door. You’re so lost in your own thoughts that by the time you go to respond, they’ve already disappeared into their own flat.

You decide that you deserve to have some wine, and eagerly pour some into one of your favorite mugs. “This is a mess.” You mumble, leaning against your kitchen counter and taking a long sip. “A complete mess.” You rub your temples. _God, she was so pretty. He was so handsome._ Shaking your head in an attempt to clear the thoughts, you take your mug to the bathroom and start to run a shower, pulling a pair of sweatpants and an old shirt out for bed.

Your phone has been achingly silent all night, and when you finish showering, it’s no different. You plug it in next to your bed and pull back the covers, feeling sleepy and warm. “I’ll deal with it tomorrow.” You mutter, pulling a pillow close and hoping for a restful sleep.

You wake up to a horribly dry mouth and a headache. It’s not wine-induced, but it certainly isn’t pleasant. You stumble to the bathroom, brush your teeth, and check your knees. The left is healing nicely, but you have to reapply a plaster to the other. Yawning, you head to your kitchen to make coffee and get a bowl of cereal.

When you see the stove, your dream comes rushing back, and in vivid detail: you were definitely not alone in that kitchen, there were pancakes cooking on the stove, and everything seemed much brighter than it does now. You sigh heavily and blink, pursing your lips. You've known them for one day and your brain already decided to give you dreams about them. Finally checking your phone, you note a text from Barbara earlier that morning, around 5. You smile at the thought of her being an early riser and the dream fades from your mind. ‘ _How are your knees?’_

 _‘Doing well!’_ You respond, and as an afterthought, ‘ _Have a good day at school, tell Adam I said hello :)’_

You exchange one or two messages every day for the next week, saying good morning or good night but nothing much else. You have to admit to being disappointed, but you understand. Everyone is busy, and they certainly didn’t seem like the type to be hooked on technology. A week from the day you fell, you wake up and decide to take the walk to the park, picking up a coffee on the way and setting up in the same spot you had before.

After a few hours of reading, the sun has risen to its highest point in the sky. You pack your bag and discard your long-empty coffee cup, deciding to walk through the town and see what’s in the area. It’s a little upsetting that you didn’t run into them, especially since you know that’s why you decided to head out in the first place. People walk by with dogs and shopping bags from the variety of self-made businesses, nearly all of them smiling at you. One girl stops you fully with a compliment, saying, “I like your hair!”

“Thank you,” You respond with a smile. She’s holding a huge bouquet of roses in her arms, nearly too big for her to carry. “Ah – Where’d you get those?”

She jerks her head back to the street behind her, the plastic rustling. “Beulah’s. Just down the street, there’s a green leaf decal on the outside of the shop. You can’t miss it!” You thank her again and she walks away, a stray petal falling from the flowers. Picking it up, you rub it between your fingers as you continue down the street. Sure enough, a few meters down, you find it.

The front of the store has two large glass windows, with the leaf pattern that the girl mentioned along the top. The door is propped open with a brick in place of a doorstop, and a woman at the counter is tying a ribbon around a small bouquet of flowers for someone at the front desk. As you step inside you’re hit with the overwhelming smell of flora, and the woman greets you happily with a "Hello!"

“Hi!” You respond, slipping the rose petal into your pocket and slowly looking around at all of the plants. Nothing particularly strikes your eye until you see a group of flowers in the back. You leave the nursery with a brown paper bag and a little skip in your step, despite feeling slightly more nervous. To calm yourself down, you stop for ice cream.

“Nice day, isn’t it?” You comment, leaning back to look at the board of flavors, although you already know what you’re going to get.

He nods. “What’d you buy? Saw you come out of Beulah’s, she has the best flowers in town.”

“Oh! Just a bouquet,” You respond. “For some friends. I’ll have a twist with rainbow sprinkles, please.”

“I’m sure they’ll appreciate the gift. Size?”

“Small,” You confirm, handing him a five-dollar bill. He gives you your change and turns to the machines in the back. You hum a little, tapping your foot, and thank him as you take your cone, walking to a bench on the shaded side of the parlor, laying the flowers gently next to you while you eat.

Coming back from your trip into town, you walk nervously towards the Maitlands’ house, hugging the bouquet absentmindedly to your chest (though careful not to squish the flowers inside). You take a deep breath at their doorstep and knock sharply, hoping simultaneously that they will and won’t be home.

Instead of the door swinging open, Adam comes out of the open garage, tucking a pair of safety glasses into his shirt pocket. “____!” He says. “What brings you to the area?”

You shift from foot to foot, the flowers crinkling in the bag. Maybe the ice cream was a bad idea after all, as the sugar is starting to get to your head. “I was reading in the park and thought I’d stop by! I — brought something.” You supply, trying not to sound embarrassingly awkward.

“Adam, who is it?” Barbara’s voice comes from somewhere in the distance, and he turns back to face the garage.

“It’s ____!” He waves her towards him. “Barbara’s out back working in the garden.” There’s a small handsaw sitting out on a bench, and a sander plugged in next to it. Adam notices you looking and puts his hand on the top of a wonderfully crafted rocking chair. “It’s for a neighbor down the street, a gift for her mother. I just finished sanding.”

“It looks great!” You say, getting closer and running a finger over the armrest. A thin layer of sawdust comes off with your touch and he laughs.

“I haven’t quite cleaned up from that yet.” He crosses his arms proudly. “Hopefully tonight I’ll have it all polished and ready to deliver!”

Your focus shifts as Barbara appears in the door to their backyard, pulling a pair of gardening gloves off and tucking them under the strap of her overalls. The front pocket has a little sprout embroidered into it, you notice. She grins. “I was wondering what you two could be talking about.”

“Just carpentry, hon,” Adam says, tilting his head sweetly at her.

Barbara wrinkles her nose with a smile. “Just carpentry,” She mocks, and he pulls a rag from his pocket to toss gently at her. She laughs and catches it. “It’s so good to see you, ____!” She says. “Come out back, you’ll get woodchips in your lungs if you stand in here for too long.” She quickly dodges out of Adam’s reach, who lunges in an attempt to grab her at the comment. He gives up as soon as she escapes into the backyard, shaking his head, looking at her so sweetly it almost feels like you’re interrupting. “My snap peas are growing!” She says, pointing at a spot in a huge mass of greenery.

You crouch down to look, and indeed, among the many other plants is a creeping section of vines where pods are starting to develop. “Those are the best to eat fresh,” You say enthusiastically. “My uncle has a farm upstate, and when we visit over the summer I can’t help but steal some.” She nods along with your story, looking captivated. 

“I’ll have to invite you over once they’re ready to be picked!” You smile and remember about the bag in your arms.

“I brought something for you,” You say, and turn to look at Adam. “Both of you, actually – here,” You fiddle nervously with the brown paper, pulling out a plastic-wrapped bouquet of three bright yellow sunflowers. “I was exploring the town and they made me think of you.”

Barbara practically starts glowing. “____, you shouldn’t have! These are absolutely beautiful!” She takes the bouquet from you, gently inspecting the flowers. “These are some of my favorites, you know.”

You stand there, failing to bite back a huge and stupid grin. “It’s really nothing. I just wanted to thank you for last week.”

“Well, message received!” Adam responds, smiling at her. “Wow, ____, you really didn’t have to do this.”

“We should get these in water,” Barbara ponders, which offers a distraction (willingly, as you were starting to squirm under the attention). “Come on inside.” The three of you go back in through the garage and enter the house through a side door. Adam goes to one of the kitchen cabinets and pulls out a long glass vase that only barely fits in the sink as he fills it up with water.

“How has your week been?” You ask, the calm feeling of being inside their house hitting you as soon as you step through the door.

Barbara joins her husband in the kitchen, gently removing the flowers from the wrapping and placing them in the vase, which she then takes to the dining room table. “There!” She bounces excitedly on her toes, looking at the new centerpiece. “We’re going to have fresh veggies any day now,” She responds, turning to look at you. “I can’t wait to have a whole salad from the garden.”

Adam nods. “That and I’ve just about finished with this chair, so I’d say it’s been a pretty good one!” Barbara puts the plastic from the bouquet on the table. “How was yours?”

Being honest, your week was nothing to write about. “Fine enough,” You smile. “This is definitely a nice end to it, though.” Barbara makes a little ‘aww’ noise, and you have to try not to respond with your own. “I was actually thinking: maybe sometime you could come to my place for dinner? To repay you for lunch, or if you don’t want to think of it like that, just because!” You cut yourself off so you don’t start rambling. The couple shares a look that you can’t particularly identify.

“I’d love that,” Barbara says, smiling. “It sounds wonderful.”

“Great!” You clap your hands together nervously. “Great. I’ll let you know when I’m available.” There’s a moment of silence in the room, though not uncomfortable. “Do you need any help in the garden? I’m free for the rest of the day.”

“Sure! I could always use an extra hand.” She turns to her husband. “Try to keep the polish in its container this time, honey. I put the new jar on your workbench. ____, have you ever repotted anything?”

You shrug. “Not once in my life, but I’m willing to learn.”

By the time the sun has begun to set, both of you have spent hours in the backyard. Though Barbara keeps her garden in wonderful shape and there isn’t much weeding to do or any mulch to lay, you trim a few of the plants and help her transfer some that are growing too big for their allocated spaces. When you’ve finished, you sit on the patio, drinking iced tea. “I like to donate the small ones to Beulah’s,” She says, resting her glass on the stone.

“That’s where I got the flowers.” You comment, looking up at the sky. Cloudless and clear, the blue is beginning to fade into orange along the horizon. “Today was nice. Call me over anytime you need, okay?”

She looks at you, pieces of her hair falling out of the messy bundle it was clipped into. She has a smudge of dirt on her cheek and grass stains on the knees of her overalls. “You were a great help. I more than appreciate it.”

Adam peeks his head out of the garage. “Honey? Don’t be mad –“

“Did you spill the polish _again_?” She laughs, leaning forward to look past you.

“I spilled the polish again,” He admits, looking extremely sheepish. “Please help.” You laugh, too, and he fixes his glasses. “Stop laughing! It could stain the garage floor!” But he can’t keep away the grin that breaks out over his face. Barbara stands.

“I guess that’s my cue to leave,” You say, grinning at Adam as you get to your feet. He disappears frantically into the garage.

Barbara shakes her head, but she’s smiling. “This is the second time this week, ____. He’s out of control.”

“Sure sounds like he is. I’ll text you about dinner soon.”

“Barb!” Adam calls. “I can’t find the rags!”

“I’d better go save my husband,” She says. You both stop in the entrance to the garage, where Adam is standing with his hands at his hips, looking helplessly at a puddle of stain on the floor. You cover your mouth. He looks devastated. Barbara notices you trying not to laugh and giggles. You manage to scoot past the mess without breaking down, and wave goodbye from the driveway. “Good luck!” You call, and Barbara waves back while Adam starts to pace.

Before you walk away, you notice that he’s tracking oil footprints all over the floor.


	3. Dinner for Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is absolutely not an ideal time to update this but do you think I care? No. It's 1:55 AM and I wanted to love the Maitlands so here I am, loving the Maitlands. (Brief mentions of alcohol/drinking!)

Work the next few days is exhausting, especially as you wait and hope for an opening yet are continuously given night shift after night shift. Exasperated, you complain to Ollie while he sets up a display of books. “It would be fine if Jeffries would just stop having me cover these late shifts!” You halfheartedly add a novel to the stack. “It’s not my fault our part-time secretary is starting to be more no-time than anything else.”

“Will you help me for real?” He laughs, and you step back a few feet.

“It’s a little off-center.”

“Fuck off, really?” He groans, wrapping his arms around a stack of books and leaning on top of them. “You’re just going to have to wait until a night opens up, I guess.” You join him and help shift them over ever so slightly. “How’s that?”

“Better.” You nod. “I know that you’re right, but I don’t want to wait.”

Ollie rolls his eyes and pokes your arm with the corner of a book. “I can’t believe how quickly you’re falling for these people, ____.”

“I’m not falling for them!” You insist, crossing your arms. “They’re just really safe to be around. They listen to me when I’m talking and make me feel included in things.”

“Isn’t that just basic human decency?”

You laugh. “Stop, it’s more than that!”

He grins and kicks the utility cart onto its wheels. “Why don’t you just say no to Jeffries?”

“She’s too sweet,” You pick up one of the cardboard boxes that the books were sitting in, ripping up the bottom flaps so you can deconstruct it. “I’m physically not able to. She’d pick up the shift on her own if she wasn’t running the whole company.”

“Sounds like a you problem to me,” He shrugs, turning. “I’m gonna take this back to storage. Watch the register.” He picks up the rest of the boxes and you toss the now flattened one at him.

“Aye aye.” You respond with a little salute, slipping behind the service counter and taking a seat in the swivel chair. You check your phone. It’s become somewhat of a habit these days, hoping for messages that won’t be there. A notification from your other boss from twenty minutes ago slides into view, and you click on it, hoping to stay updated in case someone else needs a last-minute cover. As much as you dislike picking up the extra work, you could really use the money.

‘ _You’re free tomorrow, Mary called in.’_ You grin, just as Ollie appears back in the front of the shop.

“Get off your phone,” He jokes, gesturing around at the empty store. “Can’t you see that we’re working?”

You lock it and tuck it back into your bag under the counter. “ _I_ just got a text that I don’t have to go to the firm tomorrow night.”

Ollie leans on the counter, looking at you with a crooked smile. “And what does that mean? Not that you’ve been talking about it for the past three days or anything.”

“It _means_ that when I get _home_ , I can see if the two best people I _know_ are available for dinner.” The information sinks in. “Oh my god, I have to call her, don’t I? I’ll have to clean the apartment. And prep food.” You lean heavily back in the chair. “I forgot how much work goes into having someone over.”

“It’ll be worth it,” Ollie insists. “At least that’s what you’ve been telling me.”

He gives you a ride home from work, as he usually does due to your current lack of transportation, and you linger in the passenger’s seat outside of your building. “I’m nervous.” You say.

“Just go and call!” He responds, hitting the wheel for emphasis. “Are you free for dinner tomorrow? That’s it!”

You look at him pleadingly. “Can I do it here?”

He laughs. “Alright, let me pull over. I’ll be your moral support.” As Ollie parks the car next to the curb, you pull out your phone, picking nervously at the skin on your thumbs while the phone rings.

“Wait, do you want to listen?” You ask abruptly, pulling the phone away from your ear. “Is that normal? Should you listen?”

“Stop!” He laughs, pushing the phone back towards you. “If you keep being an idiot she’ll pick up halfway through a sentence, just calm down!” You nod, trying not to laugh as well, and wait. After a few nerve-wracking rings, there’s a click.

“Hello?”

You feel your heart immediately lift at Barbara’s voice. “Hi!”

“I’m so glad you called! Adam and I just finished dinner, let me put you on speaker.” There’s movement at the end of the line and the sound of the phone being set on the table. “Say hi!!” Barbara encourages her husband, and you can’t help but smile.

“How’s your night, ____?” Adam asks.

“Good! I just got out of work. I was calling to see if you were free tomorrow for dinner?” You quickly mute yourself. “Ollie, I’m going to have an aneurism.” You hiss, and he shrinks down into his seat with silent laughter, waving you back to the phone.

“I’m not busy,” Barbara says, drawing you back to the call. You hurriedly unmute yourself. She’s pulled back from the speaker, slightly quieter, and there’s a pause that suggests Adam indicates something as well. “We’re available! What time?”

You smack Ollie’s shoulder excitedly and he hits you back. “Seven?”

“Sounds good!”

“Do either of you have any allergies or things for me to avoid making?”

“Nope!” Oh my god, you’re way too nervous for just a phone call. The big part is over, why are you still so jittery? “Have you eaten yet?” Barbara questions.

“No,” You respond sheepishly. “If I’m honest, I was too nervous about calling to eat.” Ollie gives you a shocked look and you gesture wildly at him, hoping to convey _‘I DON’T KNOW WHY I SAID THAT, PLEASE HELP,’_ while remaining silent.

Barbara makes a little noise of sympathy. “It all worked out, though!” Adam insists. “Go make dinner, take care of yourself!”

“Alright, I will. See you tomorrow?”

“See you then! Don’t forget to send us your address!” Barbara reminds you.

_Click._

You take a very long, very deep breath. Ollie tilts his head towards you. “Well?”

“I have to figure out what to make.” You say, a grin spreading rapidly across your face. “And what to wear. And clean the apartment. _But_ : they’re coming over tomorrow.” You lean back against the headrest. “I can’t wait, I’m so dumb,” You’re still smiling.

Ollie cheers a little and you bask in the tiny victory. “Alright, now hurry and get yourself together! I’ll see you on Monday.” You get out of the car and watch him pull away, waving, before heading into your apartment. Once you get inside you throw yourself stiffly onto the couch, trying not to jump around and yell – another complaint from the family below you would not go over well with your landlord.

You spend some time excitedly pacing in circles around your room, pondering what you’d like to wear and what you might make, knowing that you’ll have to go shopping to accommodate whatever it is you settle on. You take a shower and put the living room TV on for some background noise while you putter around the kitchen, seeing what you already have available. “Chicken stock…” You mumble. “Ooh, Peppadews!” You look at the jar of peppers, put it back, and go to a stack of books on a small shelf to rustle through one for a recipe.

Finding what you’re looking for – chicken rigatoni, something an old friend taught you how to make – you jot down a shopping list for the morning, adding the ingredients for brownies as well. “What’s dinner without dessert?” You ask yourself, looking up to watch Olivia Benson do something badass to a perp. You put the list on the coffee table and sit for a little more of the show before getting restless and heading to bed. Due to your nerves and all of the thoughts buzzing around your head, it takes you a while to finally drift off.

Your alarm wakes you up to a wonderful mood. You bask in the feeling of having something to look forward to, especially with it so close to happening. Looking up at the ceiling with the comforter pulled close to your chest, you take a moment to exist, thinking about all the things you have to do with an anticipation that you haven’t felt in ages. You get so excited about it that within ten minutes you’ve gotten out of bed, showered, and put on the nice outfit you planned the night before.

You stuff the shopping list into your pocket, tuck your wallet into your jacket’s pocket, grab your keys, and head out. The walk is a decent fifteen minutes at a fast pace, but the way back is tedious with all of the bags, and you have to continuously shift them from arm to arm. You leave the chicken out to thaw in the sink while you start to tidy the rest of the house. You successfully accomplish a lot of dusting, some vacuuming, and pick up a lot of various books and random articles of clothing or accessories.

Despite having a full morning, the day creeps by. Every minute seems like five. You finish tidying as much as you see fit by noon, so you start to make things look generally nicer for your company. You take one of the plants from your bedroom windowsill and place it in the middle of your kitchen table as a centerpiece, getting some candles out from the closet and lighting one to place on the china cabinet. At this point, you remember to text Barbara your address, and she thanks you (which makes you smile more than you’d probably admit).

Satisfied with that, you get to baking the brownies. With minor incident, those are finished and cut by two-thirty. Though the dish you’re making needs some time to simmer and cook, it’s still too early to start prep, so there’s a few hours of agonizing free time before you fall back into the kitchen. You flit nervously around the apartment, making your bed, laying on the couch, trying to listen to music to pass the time and keep yourself calm.

As the excruciatingly slow minutes tick by and the designated hour gets closer and closer, you start to get more and more nervous. Cooking certainly helps you lose yourself, focusing on the recipe occupying your mind enough to quell your anxieties for the moment being. You’re just testing a piece of the chicken to make sure that it’s all done when there’s a knock on your apartment door, just at 6:57. You nearly drop the wooden spoon into the pot, your hands a little shaky as you replace the lid. “Coming!”

You open the door and immediately realize that this has been completely worth it. They both look wonderful (of course they do), and you feel immediately underdressed despite not being so at all. Adam has dressed up slightly with a suit jacket and a nice tie; he’s wearing his glasses and is carrying a brown paper bag. Barbara is wearing a lovely V-necked wrap dress, baby blue and down to her knees. You’re rendered momentarily speechless. “Ah —Come in!” You manage to say after a second, moving to the side to allow them to step past the threshold.

You shut the door behind them. “It smells great in here!” Barbara says, smiling at you.

“We brought rosé,” Adam adds, handing you the bag. You pull out the bottle and admire it (it looks much more expensive than anything you would’ve been able to purchase for the occasion).

“Oh, you didn’t have to bring anything,” You say, extremely glad that you had had the foresight to get out a trio of wineglasses the day before. “But thank you!” You’d set the table half an hour before with silverware, napkins, and glasses, keeping the bowls in a stack by the pot on the stove. “My apartment isn’t nearly as nice as your house, but I hope it’s comfortable enough for you.”

“It’s wonderful,” Barbara reassures you while admiring the plant on the table, and you breathe an internal sigh of relief. “A living space doesn’t need to be large in order to feel the light someone brings to it.” She adds, gently touching one of the leaves. You turn the burner off.

“If you’re both ready to eat, we can do so now! Bowls are over here, serve yourselves.” As they get their food you rummage through a few drawers to find a corkscrew. Once successful you dig it into the cork on the bottle, pulling carefully and managing to just dislodge one large chunk of cork that flies over the counter and bounces across the floor. “Oh,” You say, watching it roll under your couch.

Adam laughs. “Looks like a tough one. Need some help?” You nod appreciatively and hand him the bottle, which he easily opens. The little voice in your brain that doesn’t like to shut up goes, ‘ _Wow. He could probably pick you up. Carpentry rules._ ’ You keep a neutral expression in order to save face and take the bottle back as he smiles at you.

“Thanks!” You go to the table and pour some wine into all of the glasses. “Sit,” You insist, going to get some food of your own before joining them.

“A toast,” Barbara says cheerfully, holding up her wineglass. You’re glad you dimmed the lights before they came in. She looks gorgeous, the sun just starting to make its descent, golden hour approaching and making her skin look radiant. “To ____! For the food.” She grins.

Adam clinks their glasses together. “To summer, and this wonderful day.”

“To whatever liquor store you bought this wine from –” You say, breaking off with a very happy smile as they laugh, “And to both of you. For coming.” You hide the sincerity of your words in the shared toast and the sips of wine you all take afterward.

When you’ve finished, you take the dishes to the sink. They offer to help you clean, but you say that you’ll take care of it after they’re gone. “You’re the guests!” You insist. “Get comfy on the couch, I baked something for dessert.”

You retreat from the kitchen with a plate of brownies in one hand that you place on the coffee table, holding your rosé in the other and curling your legs up into a chair across from them. “These are so good,” Adam comments, his eyes wide, as soon as he takes a bite.

Barbara nods. “Delicious! I’m into baking as well! We should share recipes sometime.”

“I’d love that,” You say, smiling at her.

Adam points a finger absentmindedly at nothing in particular. “I’m not too bad either, you know.” He takes another brownie. “I’ve been trying my hand at candy making when I can, it’s fun!” He puts an arm on the back of the couch and Barbara leans a little more against his side. “But she’s the best at baking pies.”

“Oh, no doubt, with all the fresh produce you have!” You sip your drink, a comfortable silence falling over the room as the sunset beams through the windows in a beautiful array of oranges and pinks. Maybe it’s because you feel a little encouraged by the wine, but you speak up. “It feels more like home when you’re here. I know that I live here, but you add something to it.”

Adam smiles and tilts his head, a curious look in his eyes. “You make our house feel that way too.”

“Like the sun’s in the room, even when it isn’t.” Barbara leans against her husband, but the way she’s looking at you almost makes it feel as though you were next to her.

“I’m glad you understand,” You say softly. “I was worried you wouldn’t. I haven’t felt so comfortable and safe with someone in a long time, and it’s important that you know how much that means. I couldn’t thank you enough for keeping me looking forward to things, even if they’re simple, like…” You gesture at the kitchen table. “Cooking dinner.” They look at you so gently that you think you might cry, and you stay like that for a while, just enjoying the warmth from their gazes and the kaleidoscope colors on the floor.

They leave soon after, the night having crept up on them. “It means so much that you came,” You say, standing with them at the door. Barbara hugs you, taking you by surprise. She’s slightly shorter than you, enough that you have to lean down the smallest amount to reciprocate. She smells like strawberries and fresh air, despite having been inside for a long time now.

“It means so much to have been invited.” She says against your shoulder. You don’t want to let go, but of course, you do. “Call us again, okay?”

Adam hugs you, too, and you have to go up onto your tiptoes. His cheek is soft against yours for the split second they brush together. “We’d better see you soon,” He says, and you’re overwhelmed by the smell of cedar and wood polish on his collar.

You nod as he pulls away. “I’ll try to stop by later in the week! Thank you again." They restate their goodbyes. As soon as they’ve left and you've closed the door behind them, you press your back to it, falling slowly down until you’re sitting on the floor. You rest your head in your hands, unable to keep away the ridiculous grin that crosses your face. Maybe Ollie was right. You are falling quickly for these people.

In an attempt to calm yourself, you take a deep breath, but only end up smiling wider. You smell like a garden in the forest, and you know it’s all you’ll be thinking about for the rest of the night.


	4. Summer Anecdotes: The Fair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's /my/ fanfiction and /I/ get to decide when to progress character relationships instead of the plot

The summer weeks creep by, nights slowly shortening despite the days getting hotter and hotter. The time you don’t spend at work, when your schedules match up, you find yourself in the suburban neighborhood. You’d never want to overstay your welcome, but the Maitlands seem so happy to have you around that you don’t ever feel as if you’re doing so.

One particularly hot afternoon, one that’s much too humid and sunny to be outside for longer than a few shaded minutes, you’re upstairs with them. The second floor of the house is where their living room is, along with a small study. You’re sprawled out in one of the armchairs, your legs over the side while you rest your head on your hand. Barbara is curled into the corner of the couch, Adam next to her. The TV is on for background noise, but you’re having a conversation more than paying attention.

“I hope I can get to go to the fair,” You say, seeing a commercial advertising a nearby theme park that reminds you of the subject. “I used to go a lot when I was younger, but last year I was out of town.”

“There’s a fair?” Adam questions, sounding excited.

“Yeah!” You sit up to look at them more easily. “The county fair. I can’t believe you’ve never heard of it, though I guess it’s a bit further out compared to where you live. I’m glad I remembered or else I might’ve missed it again.”

“How about we go together?” Barbara suggests. “Since you know your way around!”

“I’d love to do that!” You ponder the idea for a second. “Would it be alright if I brought my friend from work?” Ollie’s been trying to meet the couple since the day you ran into them, and you can’t help but think that he’ll be good moral support when spending a day out together.

Barbara smiles. “Of course!”

“The more the merrier,” Adam puts his arm up on the back of the couch. “When were you planning on going?”

Laying back down, you pull out your phone. “I’ll have to check to see what days I have off, but hopefully this week. It’d probably be better to go on a weekday; there’s less crowds then. Let’s see…” You trail off, looking through your texts to find your schedule. “Wednesday's my only full free day, would that work?”

“I think so!” Barbara says, and then kicks her feet a little. “Oh, I’m so excited!” Adam kisses her cheek and you can’t help but smile as you message Ollie to inform him of the plans.

When Wednesday rolls around, you get up with an excited bounce in your step. You pack a drawstring bag with a few granola bars, an umbrella (just in case), a jacket for later in the day, a portable charger, and a bottle of water. After a few minutes in your shower spraying and choking on sunscreen (and adding it to your bag as an afterthought), you leave your apartment to meet Ollie outside.

The four of you decided (through a couple phone calls) that the Maitlands would drive to your apartment and meet you and Ollie there, and Ollie would drive all of you to the fair. He gets out of his car to greet you with a hug as you exit the building. “I can’t wait for this.” He says, pulling back.

“I owe you a huge bag of kettle corn for dragging you along,” You say, and he shakes his head.

“You know I’ve been wanting to go to the fair. Besides, pushing you to flirt all day with them is going to be the most fun I’ve had in weeks.” He grins. “But honestly, you should still buy the kettle corn.”

“Oliver, they’re married!” You chastise, through a laugh. “I can’t be a homewrecker!”

He puts a finger to his mouth, pretending to think long and hard. “I don’t think you can really be a homewrecker if you’re trying to get with both of them.”

“I hate you,” You respond, despite the fact that you’re smiling at him. A grey van pulls up to the curb down the street. “There they are!”

Ollie raises his eyebrows. “They have a _minivan_? You didn’t tell me they were _that_ suburban.” You nudge him in the side, hard. He laughs. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Barbara waves at you from down the street and you wave back. Adam opens the trunk and pulls something out that you realize is a cooler as he gets closer.

“We brought lunch!” Barbara says, running up and hugging you. She’s wearing a lovely green sundress and the same large-brimmed hat she was wearing on the day you first met. “Thank you so much for driving,” She turns to Ollie. “I’m Barbara, and this is Adam!”

Adam puts the cooler on the ground next to Ollie’s car. “It’s nice to finally meet you!” Ollie enthuses. “____ talks about you all the time. Let me pop the trunk.” He goes around to the driver’s side of the car and you resist the very strong urge to follow him and give him a (loving yet annoyed) bop on the head. “I hope you enjoy the fair,” He says, coming back around and lifting the door.

“I think it’ll be nice,” Adam smiles, hoisting the cooler up into the trunk and shutting it again. “Let’s rock ‘n roll!” This comment is emphasized by the fact that he is wearing khaki shorts and has a pair of sunglasses peeking out of one of the many pockets.

Ollie gives you an extremely delighted look that reads something along the lines of ‘ _I can’t believe this is one of the people you’re crushing on, I will never stop teasing you about this. He has white dad energy._ ’ You ignore him and open the car door for Barbara before getting in on the passenger side. As Ollie joins you in the car the look of glee is still on his face. “It’s about forty minutes out from the city, right?” Barbara asks.

You turn in your seat while buckling to look at them. “Just about!” Ollie turns on the radio which is hooked to his phone but keeps the volume low enough to hold conversations if need be.

“Can you put on something good?” He prompts, and you pick up his phone to shuffle through his playlists and find something to listen to.

“How long have you lived in the area, Ollie?” Adam questions.

“Only a few years,” Your friend responds, signaling and pulling away from the curb. “I was kind of migrating from place to place while finishing uni and just decided to stay here.”

“What’d you go to school for?” You smile a little to yourself. Barbara is always genuinely interested in learning about other people – you’ve learned that from the numerous discussions you’ve had about your life and career and what you’d like to do moving forward.

“Pharmaceuticals!”

She perks up like she always does when she notices a spot in the conversation that she can expand upon. You don’t even have to look at her to notice, you just hear the change in her voice. “I have an aunt who was in the business! I don’t know much but I always thought it was interesting.”

“I work at a clinic downtown, if you’re that interested, I’m sure I could get you in some time to look at the equipment we have and how we do things!”

“I’d definitely recommend it,” You say. “I think it’s really neat.”

By the time you’ve arrived at the fairgrounds, you’re really happy to have brought Ollie along. He seems to have gotten comfortable with the couple almost immediately, and they like him just as much. “Is that okay to leave in the car?” Ollie asks, referring to the cooler.

Barbara nods. “It should be fine until noon, and then we can regroup and eat before the rest of the day!”

“Alright!” You say, slinging the drawstring bag over your back and stretching. “I can’t wait to eat way too much sugar and look at some pigs.” Barbara laughs and you smile in response. Making her laugh gives you the biggest mood boost.

After purchasing tickets, you spend the morning exploring the grounds. You hold yourself off from buying any sweets just yet, knowing that you’ll have lunch eventually and can eat as much cotton candy as you’d like (or at least as much as your wallet allows) later in the day. Barbara is immediately fascinated by the gardening competitions. “We have to come back next year!” She insists, putting her hand on Adam’s arm. “I’d love to enter!”

“You’d definitely win,” You say, looking at all of the displays. “I know you could make something just as good as these – probably better, in fact.”

Adam agrees. “First prize for sure.”

Ollie tugs at your sleeve. “We should go on that, He says, pointing at a ride from across the way, pairs of swings hanging from a platform that rotates in big circles. You check your watch.

“We can definitely head over there before lunch.” You look at the Maitlands. “Do you two want to come with, or are you going to look at the stalls a bit more?”

“I’d like to see the goats!” Barbara says, standing on her toes to look around.

“We’ll meet you back at the car for lunch,” Adam suggests, and you and Ollie break off into the crowd. You’re glad to get a break from feeling like a love-struck kid every five minutes, but now –

“They are the cutest straight couple I think I’ve ever seen,” Ollie says, astounded, as you walk away. You burst out laughing.

“ _That’s_ what you have to say?”

He looks at you, grinning. “Well, also, you are absolutely head over heels. You’re lucky that those two are oblivious, because _man_ , you are completely transparent.”

You groan and mess with the straps of your bag. “I know, I’m terrible at hiding my feelings. I think I’m better when I’m alone with them, but with all these people around it’s easier to forget they could catch me staring.”

“You stare a lot,” He comments, and you try to give him a glare but just end up laughing instead. “I really like them, though, ____. If there was any married couple for you to join, it would definitely be them.”

“Ollie!” You shake your head with a smile. “Never happening. Not happening ever. I’m sure my feelings will fade eventually, anyways.” The two of you get in line for the swing ride, and once it’s over, head back to the parking lot. “I’m starving,” You complain.

“It’s your fault for not eating breakfast,” Ollie says, and you stick your tongue out at him. You take his keys out from your bag and hand them to him so he can unlock the car and pop the trunk open. You hop inside and sit with your legs over the back. You dig around in your bag for your water bottles and the two of you sit in the shade of the car, waiting. In a few minutes, you see the Maitlands coming toward you out of a throng of people, holding hands.

“How were the goats?” You ask when they reach the car.

Barbara’s eyes light up. “They were so cute, ____, you would’ve loved them!”

“We also found out that there’s going to be a concert later tonight,” Adam says. “Maybe you’d be interested in going?”

“That sounds fun! A nice way to wrap up the day.” You look around and notice a spot at the edge of the mostly dirt and gravel lot where there’s a patch of grass and a tree. “We could go sit over there to eat,” You suggest, pointing in its direction.

“Good thing we brought a blanket,” Adam lifts the cooler out of the car, and you follow him to the grassy spot. Barbara pulls an orange picnic blanket from the top of the cooler and lays it out over the grass. “Sodas?”

“Ooh, yes please,” You say, taking the can and cracking it open happily. Adam does the same and you clink them together. Ollie takes one, too, and Barbara grabs one of the few water bottles.

“There’s a mix of everything,” She says as she twists the cap off. “Some ham and cheese, some turkey and cheese, and some pb&j.” She pulls out a covered tray of sandwiches that looks like something that should be on display in a grocery store, and then a tupperware container of strawberries. “Don’t feel like you have to eat everything! I packed a lot just in case.” She smiles and pulls her hat off, placing it gently on the grass next to the blanket.

Ollie gives you another look, this one less mocking and more of ‘ _holy shit, dude, you really know how to pick them_.’ “Thank you so much, both of you.” He says, popping the tab on his drink.

Adam smiles and shakes his head. “Don’t thank me; I didn’t get up at 5 to prepare all of this.”

“Don’t make it a big deal!” Barbara ducks her head bashfully. “I’m used to getting up early! It’s nothing.”

“Still, Babs, this is awesome. I didn’t even think about lunch.” She waves a hand at you as if to insist you should just eat. You take a piece of the peanut butter and jelly and lay back on the blanket, resting your head near the middle so you can still see everyone. “You all having a good time so far?”

“Absolutely,” Ollie immediately pipes up, taking a bite of his ham sandwich.

Barbara, between strawberries, agrees. “This was a great idea!”

“It was yours!” You laugh, tilting your head to look at her.

“Well – you brought up the fair in the first place,” She deflects, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. You smile.

“I have to agree,” Adam says, putting his soda can cautiously on the ground. “I haven’t taken a break out of the house like this in a while!”

You roll over, propping yourself up onto your elbows. “How’s the armoire coming?”

He rolls his eyes. “It’s going to take a long time, that’s for sure. But it’s nothing I can’t handle.” He adds confidently.

“I’m sure it’ll be great.” You lapse into pleasant conversation as you eat, Ollie asking a few questions about woodworking (much to Adam’s absolute delight). You and Barbara share subtle smiles as he starts using a bunch of words that don’t mean anything to someone who isn’t a part of the craft. “You know what he’s _really_ good at?” You say during a pause in the discussion. Adam looks at you curiously. “Knocking over bottles of polish.”

Adam tries to look upset, but he can’t hold back the little smile as his wife giggles along with you. After a while, you’ve eaten nearly all of the strawberries and start to pack up to head back into the crowds. “Do you think the blanket could fit into your bag, ____?” Barbara asks. “It might be good to have it for the concert.”

You take off the drawstring. “Maybe. Can’t hurt to try.” She manages to fold the blanket small enough to just barely fit into your bag, leaving it extremely bulky. “I look so suspicious!” You laugh, looking over your shoulder at the now very large backpack.

“It’s fine,” Adam says, laughing too. “Doesn’t look at all like you’re smuggling anything in.”

The four of you stick together for the remainder of the afternoon. Barbara insists that you have to see the goats, so you go back to the contest area and get a look at them. She was right: you love them. You get to feed one of them some hay together, leaning over the little fence with your shoulders touching.

You find out that Adam is an absolute sucker for carnival games. He looks longingly at every booth and starts talking about how they’re rigged until you tell him to just pick a few to play. He immediately lights up and drags you over to a ring toss. “The best way to do this would be to dump as many as possible on the bottles,” He says. “But that’s almost always against the rules.”

“Looks like it is here, too,” You point to a sign that says, in big, bold text: **One ring per throw**. He shrugs and hands the vendor a five, a wicked grin on his face.

Barbara nudges your shoulder. “Here he goes,” She mutters.

A huge bucket of rings is set on the counter. “The trick is to flick your wrist in a certain way,” He says, picking a few up, “And aim for the bottles along the edges.” You grab a few rings as well and encourage Ollie and Barbara to do the same. The three of you make a series of unsuccessful tosses. Adam tries and misses. “Warming up,” He says, and the confidence in his voice makes you believe he might actually know what he’s doing.

“Show us how it’s done, then,” You encourage, only a little teasingly. He turns to look at you, and while holding eye contact, throws a ring that lands directly on one of the bottle’s necks. “Holy shit!” You laugh, somewhat in disbelief, and clap for him.

He straightens back up proudly. “Pick out a prize!”

“Me?” You ask, glancing at Barbara (and then Ollie, who is giving you another Look).

“Yes, you!” He insists. “You brought us here!”

You look around at the many plush animals and point up at a big tan bear. “That one, please,” You tell the worker, who takes the empty bucket of rings and picks up a hook to take down the stuffie. She hands it to you with a smile.

“Talented man you’ve got,” She says, and you flush.

“Oh, not – not my man,” You stutter, hoping that this exchange is going unheard. The Maitlands are having a little discussion of their own, but Ollie slides over with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Talented man you’ve got,” He repeats, and you hit him with one of the bear’s huge arms. A few more carnival games later, you stop to get some food.

“I still owe you that kettle corn.” You remind Ollie, pausing at a cart to get a bag. You buy some cotton candy as well before circling back to the large stadium where the band is going to be playing and settling down on a section of lawn. People are starting to gather, and someone is handing out glowsticks. You catch a package of them and shake them onto your blanket, cracking a few and linking them together to place on Barbara’s head. “Your crown,” You say, and she laughs, slightly bowing her head, and it falls down to rest on her shoulders.

“Do we not get crowns?” Ollie injects.

“Yeah!” Adam says.

“Hold on, hold on!” You say through a giggle. “I’m working on them!” By the time the band has gotten on stage, all of you are wearing glowing bracelets or necklaces. The music plays into the sunset, and as you’re all cheering as they leave the stage, it’s dusk. You yawn and stretch. “We should probably head out soon.”

Barbara gasps. “We never went on the Ferris Wheel!” She exclaims as you shove the blanket haphazardly into your bag. It doesn’t nearly fit as well when it isn’t folded.

“We can do that before we leave,” You say, standing up.

“I think I’ll pass,” Ollie says. “I’m not a big fan of heights.”

You glare at him behind Barbara’s back. “I guess I will, too, I don’t want to ride alone.”

“You can come with us!” Barbara says, turning around to give you a smile. She takes Adam’s hand and starts to walk in the direction of the ride, and you give Ollie the deadliest gaze you can muster.

“I am never taking you anywhere with them again.”

He grins. “If you were alone, you’d have to ride it with them anyways.” You close your eyes for a second and start to walk after them without another word. “Don’t be mad!” He laughs, obviously not worried that you’re actually upset. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”

He leaves you standing in line with them, promising to wait on the ground with your bear so you can all walk back to the car together. You fiddle nervously with your hands. The line isn’t long, as many of the people have already left for the day. Adam helps Barbara up into the cart and then you before getting in. The ride operator shuts the metal gate and you wait for a while before it starts moving, slowly.

You really might kill Ollie for this one – you’re the one who’s actually afraid of heights, and being in a tiny metal cage that swings with every slight movement is not your idea of a good carnival ride. Barbara looks happily over the fair at all of the lights. “It’s beautiful,” She sighs.

Adam looks at you, noticing that you’re oddly silent. “Are you okay, ____?” He asks softly.

“I always make the same mistake with this ride,” You laugh nervously. “I think I’ll be fine, and then we get off the ground and I hate it.”

“Hey, it’s alright,” Barbara says. “We’re safe. Look,” She takes your hand. “Just focus on the lights, okay?” Adam reaches across the cart and takes your other hand as the wheel creaks to a slow stop. You’re at the very top of the ride, and looking down makes you shake a little. Barbara gently rubs her thumb over your knuckles. “Don’t look down, sweetheart,” She murmurs, catching your eye. “Focus on the lights.”

“I could talk about woodworking, if that would help.” Adam jokes, and despite your nerves, you smile.

“I’m okay. Just don’t let go.” You say, very quietly, and he squeezes your hand. The three of you are silent. The chatter and laughter of other people on the ride and the shrieks of joy from around the park seem quieter up here in the air. “It _is_ pretty,” You admit, looking out over the vast expanse of flashing carnival booths and rides. “Weird that it’ll all be gone within the next week.”

Barbara leans against you, resting her head on your shoulder. “I’m glad we came out here.” Adam nods his agreement, giving your hand another brief squeeze.

“So am I.” You respond, just as the wheel starts moving again. They don’t let go of your hands until you’re safely on the ground.

On the car ride home, everyone is quiet. The soft glow of the steadily dimming, neon glowsticks illuminate the areas where they rest, but everyone is too sleepy to say anything. You listen to Ollie’s music and sit comfortably in the silence, hugging the prize bear against your chest. Adam takes the cooler out of the trunk when you get back to the apartment building, putting it down to give you a hug, which Barbara soon follows with her own. They thank you and Ollie for the day and leave.

“They held my hands on the Ferris Wheel,” You say, watching them get into their van from down the street. “Because I was anxious.”

Ollie gapes at you and then grins. “You owe me one.”

You don’t even bother to say anything in response, holding up an arm to wave as the van drives down the street. “I really do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My school had a virus breakthrough earlier in the year and due to that, we have to turn our laptops in today to get the hard drives wiped. I'm going to try to continue updating but please be patient with me if the chapters are far apart! <3


	5. Summer Anecdotes: The Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a while to get out of my brain! There'll likely be one more little story-type thing for the summer before more plot stuff happens. However, you get to see the Maitlands being domestic and lovely, so I doubt there will be any complaints :)

Work is getting harder. You hate to admit it, but you have to. The pressure of both jobs is starting to weigh on your mental health in a way that would be seriously detrimental if you didn't have Ollie and the Maitlands to help you cheer up between days full of customers and human interaction. Besides this, you're getting tight on money. It's not something you'd willingly admit – after all, as of now, you only have to cut down on material spending – but it's certainly bearing on you.

You're sitting on the curb outside of the law firm, checking your phone and occasionally watching cars speed by. It's nice in the shade, as the wind isn't blowing, and you aren't quite ready to go back to the apartment. A new text comes through, from Barbara.

_'Are you free?'_

You smile to yourself, but it doesn't last long. You should probably pick up another shift at the bookshop, if possible… But honestly, you've worked so hard these past few weeks, taking as little time off as you can, so... ' _Just got out of work for the day!'_ You start to yawn but are startled out of it by your phone ringing. "Hi!" The voices on the other line are slightly warped, most likely because they're using a car's speaker systems.

"____!" Barbara says. "Would you like to come over for dinner? We're going to fire up the grill!"

"I am a grill _master_ ," Adam says, and you laugh.

"We're already in the city, so it's no big effort to pick you up if you're interested." You stand up, trying not to pace too much while you think it over.

"Alright," You decide, standing your ground. You deserve a break. "I'm at the corner of Utica and Main, do you want me to walk to meet you somewhere?"

"No, no, stay put! We'll be right there." And she hangs up. You look down at your dress clothes, which are certainly not suited to a backyard barbeque, or whatever this is going to be. But it'll be fun, you know, and it'll help you to relax. Over the two months now that you've known the Maitlands, they've completely changed your lifestyle. Maybe not in a noticeable way, but in your outlook on the world and yourself, and the things that get you through each passing day. You spot the minivan coming down the road in a few minutes and Adam pulls up to the curb across the street.

At this point, you've stopped even trying to repress the ridiculous grin that seems to always be on your face when you see them. You briefly glance both ways and hurriedly walk across the street. The door is already opening on its own and you hop inside, pushing the button for it to close behind you. "Hi!"

"That was jaywalking," Adam says, smiling at you in the rearview mirror. "You're legally a criminal."

"I've been a criminal for many years." You quickly retort, tossing your bag to the seat next to you. "Hey, Barbara." She gives you a little wave.

"Well buckle up, delinquent, because I'm not getting in trouble for your nefarious acts against the law." You laugh and do as he says. "How was work?" He prompts, clicking on the blinker and shifting the car back into the road.

It was shit. "It was alright! What brings you to the city?"

"Shopping!" Barbara says, holding a reusable grocery store bag up from the area near her feet to show you.

"You came out here just for shopping?" You know that there's a perfectly good and well-stocked grocery store within walking distance of their house, and it's likely much better than any of the ones out in the city.

The couple shares a look. Honestly, they do that so often that you're starting to think they might be telepathic. You don't know a thing about what married life is like – it could be plausible that they're having an entirely silent conversation. Maybe. Barbara gives you a sheepish smile. "We hoped you'd be around. Ollie didn't think you had work this evening."

You suppress a groan. You knew it would result in some form of chaos, having shared Ollie's number with Barbara so she could thank him more properly after the fair. Adam makes eye contact with you through the mirror. "We noticed you've been busy lately, ____. You deserve a break from working so hard." A huge part of you wants to protest this. _I need to keep working_ , you want to say. _It's just the bare facts of the situation._

You bite it back. They're just trying to keep you upbeat, and honestly, they're doing a good job. "Thanks, guys." Your phone buzzes.

' _You're welcome._ ' Ollie says, and you grin, shaking your head to yourself.

' _You're a smug bastard, you know that, right?_ '

Barbara doesn't let you help her bring the grocery bags inside, although it turns out there's only two. "It's a surprise for later! No peeking, okay?" She insists, giggling as she puts them on the kitchen counter. "I have to show you the lilies in the garden. They finally bloomed!"

Adam smiles and waves a hand for you both to go. "I'll take care of this and be right out to start cookin'!" His cadence makes you smile in return as Barbara excitedly leads you through the garage and into the backyard. They've set up a little gazebo since the last time you were there, complete with a round table and some metal chairs with removable cushions. It has a rain cover above, and you picture a nice image of yourself curled up in one of the chairs watching the rain drizzle over the lawn.

The lilies have indeed bloomed, as you turn your attention to them (and a very proud-looking Barbara, who stands waiting for your input). "Oh, Babs, they're lovely!" You lean over the blossoms, inspecting them.

"Which ones are your favorites?" She asks.

You ponder for a second. "The purple," You say. "But the white are a close second."

She hums happily and reaches out, brushing against your hand for a second before moving away. Her expression falters for a bit, looking slightly uncertain. You don't point it out – though you absolutely notice the touch – and she relaxes again. "Those are my favorite too," She responds, all soft and sweet, her voice something you could listen to for hours. Your heart flutters just thinking about it (although it was already going a bit fast from moments before).

The back door creaks open and Adam comes outside with a covered plate that he sets to the side of the grill as he leans down to light it. "Are burgers okay?"

"There's a salad inside that I'll bring out, too, once they're done," Barbara says. You're waiting for her to step away from you, but she doesn't, she stays just as close as she was. Close enough to barely reach out in order to touch her.

You nod absentmindedly, still thinking about how much you would like to reach out and hold Barbara's hand. "That's fine with me."

Adam suddenly and slowly grins. "I almost forgot my apron," He says, shooting a direct look at Barbara, who rolls her eyes but smiles as he runs back into the garage. Confused, you look at her, but she has this look on her face: _just wait_. Before you can ask what's going on, he returns, having quite obviously gone as fast as he could to get to wherever the apron was. It isn't even tied yet. He holds out his arms triumphantly, and you burst out laughing. 'Kiss the cook.' He really has an apron on that says, in blocky red text, 'Kiss the cook.'

As you're caught up with hysteria, he starts advancing towards his wife, who takes a few steps back and dashes into the yard. "No!!" She exclaims and kicks her shoes off, picking them up to throw at Adam as he chases her. You're stunned, standing in the middle of the patio in a suburban backyard as two adults run around. There is absolutely no place you'd rather be. You take a seat under the gazebo, just watching things play out.

"IT'S THE RULE, BARBARA!" Adam shouts, catching up to her and dodging the latest projectile (a sock). He wraps her in a big bear hug, and she dissolves into giggles, attempting to push him away (with no obvious intention of actually doing so). He lifts her off the ground and she shrieks, kicking her feet.

"Fine! Fine," She laughs, out of breath, "Put me down!" He does as she asks, and she tilts her head back, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. "You maniac," Barbara grins as he lets her go, her hair ruffled and staticky from her husband's shirt. Said husband, standing proudly in the middle of the lawn, finally ties the apron.

"Works every time," He says to you, spreading his hands wide.

Barbara collects her socks and shoes and tosses them by the back door. "With foul play!" She insists, putting her hand on the back of your chair and leaning down a little. "Do you want anything to drink? I'm going to get some water."

"Water's fine!" You smile, and she briefly pats you on the shoulder before walking away, humming to herself. Adam uncovers the plate from earlier and you listen to the burgers sizzle as he puts them on the grill. You close your eyes, basking a little in the late evening sun, and he joins you in an adjacent chair. You peek open one lid to see him looking as though he wants to start talking. "What's up?" You ask, sitting up to seem more attentive.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything you've brought to us in these past two months, ____. You make Barb so happy – you make _me_ so happy. I couldn't be more grateful." Sincerely, he reaches out and puts his hand on yours.

"Ad," You start, feeling extremely overwhelmed by this show of genuine emotion. "I appreciate you both more than I could even explain." You get distracted for a second, losing your train of thought by how much the alarm bells are going off in your head because he's _still_ touching your hand. "I can't believe we're having this discussion while you're wearing that apron."

"Hey!" He protests. "What's wrong with the apron?"

"Absolutely nothing," You laugh, and Barbara comes back outside with a pitcher and some glasses for the three of you. Adam gets back up to tend to the food and you go back to enjoying the sun, curled up against the side of the chair. Maybe it was a good idea to take a break for once. You didn't realize how tired you were until you sat down. "Don't fall asleep," Barbara says, but despite her tone being joking, her cadence is soft and caring. You stretch and sit up.

There's a salad on the table now, and some plates, and Adam is coming over with the burgers. You blink. "I think I already did."

"Power nap!" Adam chuckles. "Good, you probably needed it." The three of you eat, mostly in silence, just enjoying the atmosphere. Barbara gets up when she's finished and picks up the hose, watering some plants. "Honey, help me carry these dishes?"

Barbara perks up. "Oh! ____, can you finish watering for me?"

"Sure thing," You nod and take the hose from her. "My compliments to the chef…s." You say with a little bow in their direction, and both smile and thank you before going inside. You force back another yawn as you spray the hose over the garden, careful to avoid the fragile flowers as much as you can.

"____?" Adam calls, sounding as though he's right around the corner of the garage.

"Yeah?" You respond, turning as soon as he emerges, forgetting completely that you're holding something that is spraying water in whatever direction you move. He stands, somewhat shocked, and you can hear Barbara laughing from behind him.

"Nice!" She says, peeking her head out and checking to make sure the coast is clear.

Seeming to have gotten over the initial blow, Adam laughs. "Good thing I put on my glasses!" He says, taking them off and wiping them on a dry part of his pants. "However, you won't get away from this unscathed." He ducks to the other side of the door and reemerges with another hose, which he aims at you.

"Why do you even have two hoses!" You laugh, spraying him again, but he dodges out of the way as you do, and the water hits Barbara instead.

If she had sleeves, you're certain she'd be rolling them up. "Oh, it's _on!_ " She says, grabbing the hose from Adam and charging towards you with a manic smile on her face. You drop your weapon and focus on running, dodging and weaving and only getting a little bit of mist on your face.

"Hold on, hold on!" You say, coming to a stop at the edge of the lawn, Barbara having cornered you. "Truce?" The moment the word leaves your mouth, a downpour of water is dumped on your head. You gasp and Barbara doubles over, laughing, and drops the hose. You turn, hands frozen in the position they were when you called for peace, to see Adam, grinning triumphantly with a whole watering can in his hands.

"We win."

You rub your eyes and shake your head at him, but that stupid, stupid smile you can't push away makes it really hard to look menacing. "Two against one, I didn't have a chance!"

He shrugs and puts the can down. "Shouldn't have started it."

"It was an accident!" You wipe more water from your face and smile deviously. "Hug?" You prompt, already advancing toward him with your arms extended. Before he can even get the chance to try and get out of the way, you've got your arms around his waist. He hugs you back – right as Barbara sprays you both with the hose. "Barbara!" You laugh, taking off to chase after her.

Once she realizes that you aren't going to stop, even with the fact that she's continuously aiming a stream of water at you with every chance she gets. She drops the hose and braces herself. Adam joins you, though he is significantly less soaked (you can see the damp spots where your arms touched his shirt). She gasps. "You're both freezing," She giggles, trying to push you off, and meets your eyes. The realization of just how close you are makes you step back.

"Hose water isn't heated," You say, trying to gloss over how quickly you let go of her. "Can I maybe borrow a towel?" You question, standing with your arms out, dripping onto the lawn. Barbara covers her mouth to laugh.

"Oh, ____, even your shoes!" She finally gets ahold of herself. "Come inside. Adam, honey, can you start working on –" She stops talking as he nods. "Thank you!"

You look between them. "What is he working on?" You feel like you've missed an entire part of the conversation, but Barbara just looks vaguely smug.

"I told you, it's a secret! Come on, you'll catch a cold."

"Babs, it's summer, I won't get sick." She ushers you into the garage and brings you a towel, which you use to at least stop trailing water everywhere. You follow her into the house, and she hands you a little pile of folded clothes.

"You can use the bathroom to change," She smiles. You think about objecting, but you'd really rather not stay in your wet clothes, so you take what she offers with thanks. You take the towel with you and get as dry as you can, peeling your work clothes off and draping them over an empty towel rack to avoid getting the floor wet. You unfold the sweatpants. They're a little too big, but you can cinch them in the front with a little knot. The tee shirt you've been given is from a Bon Jovi tour and based on the size alone, it's Barbara's. Somehow, this new knowledge doesn't surprise you.

You take a moment to look at yourself in the mirror, pulling the collar up over your nose with a stupid grin. It smells like their house, like home. You can't deny that thought, as much as you wish you wouldn't have it. They feel like home, more than any other place you could be. "Hey, Barbara?" You question, coming out of the bathroom with your clothes in tow. "Should I hang these outside?"

From the kitchen, where she's rummaging through one of the shopping bags, she looks at you. There's a second of hesitation, something you wouldn't even notice if you didn't pay so much attention to these two all the time. It's the same type of hesitation you saw earlier, in the garden. "I'll throw them in the dryer for you, so you don’t have to take wet clothes home."

You pull the shirt out a little at the base, looking at her. "Bon Jovi, huh?"

She waves you off. "I used to go to a lot of concerts," She explains, leading you upstairs and to the laundry room.

"Used to?" You toss your clothes into the dryer. Barbara closes it and presses a few buttons. The machine rattles to life.

"Adam doesn't like how loud they are, and I'd just rather not go alone." She smiles, a little lopsidedly. "I don't have many concert-type friends in the teaching world."

"Well, I love concerts!" You enthuse. "I'd love to go some time. Let me know if anything you're interested in comes to town!" As you're saying this, you can practically feel your bank account sobbing at you. Hopefully, by the time that happens, you'll be a little more financially stable.

Barbara stops at the landing and gives you a look that would be worth going completely bankrupt. "That'd be really nice," She says, and you tuck your hands into the pockets of the pants you're wearing with a smile. Before you go back into the backyard, Barbara grabs the bag of groceries, still not letting you see what's inside.

"Come on!" You try to peek over her shoulder, but she folds the bag over completely.

She pushes you gently away. "No! You can wait a couple more minutes!" You pout at her and she just laughs. The night has cooled down nicely now that the sun is setting, and there's a gentle breeze. Adam is carrying a chair across the lawn to the middle, where a firepit has been set up and is starting to burn. He waves at you and nearly drops the chair in the process. "Sit!!" Barbara insists. She's getting really excited about whatever they've planned, you can tell just by the way she's talking.

You take a seat on the edge, giving Barbara space to sit next to Adam, but she shoos you into the middle. "Okay, what's going on," You ask, holding your hands up to the kindling that's burning at the bottom of the firepit. "This is getting suspicious," Adam adds a few dry logs and pulls three skewers out from behind his back.

Barbara pulls out a bag of huge marshmallows and holds them up. "S'mores!" She says enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear.

"The best stress relief," Adam nods, handing the skewers down the line to both of you. You take a marshmallow from Barbara and spear it with the rod. Adam holds his out to Barbara, who puts a marshmallow on the end for him. "I always manage to burn them."

You put your skewer over the flame. "The trick is to keep them in the tops of the flames," You advise. "And keep rotating. Gets them evenly browned."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Barbara says, and they start roasting their own marshmallows. True to her word, within seconds, Adam is holding a metal stick with a flaming hunk of gelatin at the end. This takes a second for you to process as he frantically pulls it back and blows it out.

"Darn." He frowns, looking very sadly at the charred thing in front of him (which is beginning to droop away from the skewer). You laugh – he looks so sad over this – and offer him yours.

"I promise I won't burn it," You hold the stick towards him, but he shakes his head. You shrug. "Your loss. We're going to have amazing, not-burnt s'mores." Barbara gives you a high five with a laugh. You sit around the fire for a while, making your s'mores and joking around, talking about the fall's approach and various plans for the rest of the summer. "These were so good," You say, leaning back into your chair. "I haven't had s'mores in ages."

Barbara hugs her legs up to her chest and yawns, looking up at the sky. "This was nice."

The fire has started to burn down to its coals. "It was," You respond. "Thank you." You don't want to leave, and for the first time, you have an inkling that the Maitlands feel the same way. Instead, you stare up at the stars to the sound of the fire crackling, warm and comfortable and safe.

By the time Adam offers to drive you home, it's nearly 11 pm. For a brief minute, you think you might regret staying out this late (you have work in the morning, early, and you'll certainly be up at least another hour). In reality, though, you couldn't be happier with how your day turned out. You fall asleep in the clothes that they gave you to change into, smelling like campfire smoke and the house at the corner of the street.


	6. Summer Anecdotes: The Farmer's Market

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a short one today, but it actually has some plot advances! I hope you enjoy <3 My motivation has been low lately, but I still plan to get these chapters out without too much delay

Saturday is farmer's market day. You found that out by spending time with the Maitlands; the local market sets up on one of the parkways every Saturday during the early spring and through summer from eight to twelve. When you happen to get the morning off, you've found yourself attending, browsing the dozens of booths and artisan goods.

You're walking along the grass this morning, stopping at a booth to purchase a sample jar of fresh honey, when someone taps you on the shoulder. "____!" Someone calls, and you're surprised to see Barbara, as she's usually part of the earlier crowd (and you're one of the last-minute stragglers). "I've missed you!" You give her a smile, taking the bag from the vendor and thanking him.

"Yeah, I've been… Really busy." You supply. You've been focusing so much on work that you haven't had much time at all to see anyone outside of it, and it's been hard to keep out of that pit of negativity. A little over a month has passed since the last time you were together, and summer has begun to turn into fall. "Sorry for not reaching out as much."

She gives you a look that's a mix of pity and concern. "Don't apologize! Let me buy you a croissant." You can't say no to that, and just being around her is already boosting your mood. You're starting to wonder why you find it so hard to just talk to them, considering how happy they make you feel. You stop at a little stand that's labeled 'Butter Block Shop', one you've never noticed before.

"Barbara!" The clerk says, smiling warmly. "It's good to see you. The usual?"

"And an extra chocolate croissant, please, Alex." She responds and hooks her arm around yours. "You're going to love it. Best pastries in town." Alex taps away at a little cash register and slides it closer to the counter so Barbara can swipe her card before turning to get the order ready.

"I'll trust you on that." You're having a bit of trouble making a coherent sentence with the amount of casual contact that is being made. Alex hands a brown paper bag and a receipt to Barbara. "Thank you," You say, giving them a polite nod.

"Have a great week, Al." Barbara thanks them, taking the pastries and putting them into her shopping bag. "Are you free to come back to the house and talk?" She questions as you start to walk away from the booth (arms still linked!). "Just for a little bit, maybe over some coffee?"

You try not to trip over your own feet, feeling as though everyone is looking at the two of you and everyone immediately knows that you're head over heels. "I'm finished here, so sure! I'd love to." She beams over at you and you smile back, knowing for sure that you look like a dumb, lovestruck idiot. You walk together like that, comfortably silent, all the way to the end of the parkway and down the next street to their house. She lets go of your arm to open the front door for you, but you're left with a fuzzy feeling in your chest.

Once you get inside, leaving your shoes by the door, you take a deep, sighing breath, looking around. "What?" Barbara prompts, giving you a little confused smile, and you pat your hands against your legs.

"It's just nice to be here." You say, crossing to the kitchen and helping her take things out of the bag she was using to shop with, putting a container of raspberries into the fridge.

Barbara starts to take out the pastries. "Go find Adam, would you? He was upstairs when I left." You leave her to the toaster oven. When you turn to go up the stairs you catch a glimpse of her getting plates from the cupboard, humming softly to herself, standing on her toes to reach them. You sigh a little and stop walking, thinking about how nice it would be to see her so comfortably at peace every day.

"Adam?" You reach the landing and walk into the living room, finding him on the couch, reading. He's wearing sweatpants and looks up over the rim of a pair of boxy glasses to meet your eyes. His being dressed down is odd enough but combined with the fact that those are the sweatpants you recently washed and returned to them from the fire has you totally off-kilter. "I'm here," You manage to say, and then shake your head a little, laughing at yourself.

He grins, tilting his head, and closes his book, removing his glasses, and resting both things on the coffee table. "Yes, you certainly are. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

You point with your thumb back at the stairs. "I ran into Barbara at the market, we just got back."

Adam lights up. "Oh, that means croissants!" You confirm this with a nod as he gets up from the couch and stretches his back out. "It's good to see you, been a little while." He says, affectionately patting your shoulder, his hand resting there for just long enough that you still feel it once he pulls away. You follow him down the stairs. "How was it?" He asks Barbara, who's leaning against the counter while the toaster oven ticks down the seconds behind her.

"Nothing exceptional. Got some berries and cheese," She informs, and he gives her a peck on the forehead. "We bought Butter Block," She adds, smiling at him.

"Didn't expect any less." He responds, peeking into the oven. "Chocolate?"

"Of course, honey."

"You're the best." He pulls her in by the waist and kisses the side of her head, the timer going off as he does so. You lean against the wall next to the dining room table, just watching them as Barbara gets a plate and uses a pair of wooden tongs to slide the pastries out onto it. Adam finally lets go so she can bring the plate to the table where you take a seat. "These are the best in town," Adam says, taking a paper towel and a croissant. He takes a bite. "Ooh, hot!"

You grin. "They just came out of the oven, Adam, of course they're hot." You take the other one with chocolate, leaving Barbara with the plain. You leave it on the table, waiting for it to cool.

"So, what's got you so busy?" Barbara questions, taking a seat next to you while Adam continues attempting to eat his still very warm pastry.

You pick at your thumb, thinking back to the last time you went into the law firm.

_"I don't want to have to do this, ____," Monique says, leaning forward in her desk chair. "But you know you're just a temp."_

_"I want to stay here!" You insist, trying not to sound too desperate. "I put in a request to be full-time, you know how hard of a worker I am."_

_Jeffries gives you a pitying look. "I do, ____. But this isn't coming from me, it's coming from HR, and they've found someone they think better fits the position. I'm sorry."_

_Frustrated, you lower your head. "I know it isn't your decision." She slides a folder across the table._

_"Here's the paperwork." She says. "We'll miss having you around."_

"I was only a temp at the firm, and they didn’t accept my application to work there full-time," You say, casually tapping your hands on the table. "I'm also being evicted."

The couple responds at the same time, both looking at you, startled. "What?!" Barbara exclaims.

"No!" Adam gasps, partially because of the news and partially because he almost loses his croissant to the floor.

You look between them. "After losing that job, I haven't been able to keep up with payments. It was hard before now, but…" You sigh. "They want me out by next Monday."

"Monday!" Barbara scoots her chair closer to you, putting a gentle hand on your back and rubbing in comforting circles. "That's so soon!"

You groan. "God, I know. Don't remind me. I've been putting off calling my parents, but that's my only option." You halfheartedly take a bite of the pastry. "Wow. These _are_ really good." You put your head down on the table in your arms, now muffled. "I haven't thought about it much until now if I'm being honest. I just pushed it away."

There's a bit of silence, and you hear Adam take a seat next to you. "You could stay with us," Barbara suggests, still lightly rubbing your back. "Until you figure things out."

You give her a slight smile, picking your head up. "I don't want to trouble you. You've got yourselves to take care of, there's no space for me."

Adam catches your eye. "We've got the whole spare bedroom, ____. You keep saying how much you want to be in the suburbs!" He gives you a smile, a real and genuine one. You hesitate again, and he leans closer. "Listen," He says. "Remember what you said the first time we were together? About feeling like something is supposed to happen?" He and Barbara share a look over your head. "This is one of those times."

"It doesn't have to be forever," Barbara adds. "Just till you're back on your feet. And, ____?" She prompts, getting your attention. "I promise, we'd love to have you here."

They sound so _sure,_ so convinced that they wouldn't even mind you living with them that you find tears starting to well up in your eyes, forced to blink them back. "Are you sure?" You ask, looking to Adam, who nods, and then to Barbara, who does the same. "Thank you so much," Your voice cracks, and Adam puts a reassuring hand on your knee.

"Hey, it's going to turn out alright." He says. You squeeze your eyes shut. "Promise."

"And you'll help me move all the stuff?" You joke with a watery laugh, wiping your face with the back of your sleeve.

"Every last box," Adam promises, and you grin, trying not to cry harder at his sincerity.

"I should go home," You say, not used to being so vulnerable.

"Don't go yet," Barbara says. "You have time to calm down first. It's okay."

You sigh. "You two have been here for me since we met," You begin, already starting to break down. "It means so much to me." You choke on your words, pulling your shoulders close to your body. Adam scoots his chair closer, draping an arm over your back for a partial hug. Barbara does the same on your other side.

"We do it because you mean so much to us." He murmurs.

Barbara nods. "You bring so much light into our life, ____. Believe me, it'd be an honor to have it all the time." You take a shaky breath. The three of you sit like that for a long time. It feels again like the first day you spent around this table, the sun filling up the room. This time, nothing interrupts the moment.

"Thank you," You say again, very quietly.

Barbara gives you one last squeeze before pulling away but leaves her hand on your back. "Anything we can do to help."

"Now you don't have to call your parents," Adam says with a grin, reassuringly touching your shoulder.

You laugh. "I think I might have to at least update them on the situation." You can feel them looking at you, and there's so much genuine emotion, so much care and feeling that you're overwhelmed. You can't even read it all, you couldn't begin to guess what they might be thinking, but you know that it's true. It's real, it's true, and it's honest, and you couldn’t be happier that it is. "Thanks for the croissant," You say, and Barbara laughs.

"Maybe we should warm it up again."

"I'll take it home." You suggest, wrapping it up in the paper towel it's sitting on. "I have a lot to do before next week." You stand from the table (reluctantly, as you were enjoying the closeness and comfort). "Thank you again, so much. I'll be in contact about… Moving in, I guess?" You shake your head a little. You never would have guessed this was where you'd be ending up. "It means so much. More than I could say, really."

They walk you to the door. "I think I understand," Barbara says.

"Me too." You give them both hugs, lingering for as long as you possibly can in their arms before drawing away. Adam is strong and steady, Barbara is gentle and sweet, and the two of them provide all you could ever ask for.

"If you need anything at all, we're just a call away." Barbara reminds you, Adam holding her close by the waist. "We'll hear from you soon?"

"Absolutely," You promise with a nod. The air outside is cool and fresh, leaves starting to turn in the trees down the street, and you're reminded of the new beginnings that lie ahead. You know that the nerves will settle in soon, but for now, you're strictly euphoric, and you let yourself enjoy it.

Ollie is going to flip his shit.


	7. Bubbly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for alcohol consumption! me be like: no the paragraph describing how damn perfect the maits are is not optional and yes there will be one in every chapter. next question❤️

You realize soon enough that packing is much easier than you expected it to be. Since you're moving into a house that's already being lived in, you don't need to worry about utensils and plates and the like. Over the course of the week, you've packed up the basics – some dish sets, glassware, and the like that you don't want to part with – and brought it to Ollie's garage. He's letting you keep it there until you need it again, whenever you move back out on your own.

Along with all of that, you've swept through the house with leftover boxes you took from deliveries at the bookstore. The apartment still looks like it could be lived in once you're finished, although it's a bit sparse. You're leaving the furniture; your landlord will have to deal with it if the new owners don't want it. You don't need it, and Ollie's garage (as much as he would try if you needed to store one) is not big enough to hold a couch.

You're finishing up by the end of the week, having managed to get everything together with a little help from a few friends. Your bedroom is bare save for a few boxes of final things, and the last nights are exceptionally strange.

Without having work to go to (especially after quitting the bookstore), it feels like there's a gap in your life. The process of moving has managed to distract you from all of this, but the worry of having to go job hunting once the move is over still nags at you.

On Saturday, sitting on one of the swivel stools at the kitchen counter, you pick up your phone to call Adam. Texting him would be useless, as he's often completely ignorant of any notifications, not to mention taking an excessive amount of time to reply to them. You know that Barbara' has something to go to this morning (you aren't sure what), or else you'd reach out to her. "Hey! Can we try to get everything over to yours today?"

"Sure!" There's a distinct sound that you identify as sandpaper. You kick the counter, the chair spinning you around, smiling a little at the mental image of him working in the garage. "Give me ten minutes to finish up here and I'll be over."

"Sounds good!" You hang up and hop down from the chair, grabbing a soda from the fridge. You've been running on Pepsi for the past few days. You crack it open and take a few sips before starting to move various boxes closer to the door. You live on a lower floor, sure, but all the stairs are going to be tough to work with. Of course, the elevator is out of commission this weekend.

In about fifteen minutes, Adam knocks at the apartment door. You open it, tilting your head curiously at him. "You know you can just walk in, right? I know who you are."

He furrows his eyebrows a little. "That'd be rude." He takes in the sight of the apartment. "You ready to move out?" You take another quick drink of your Pepsi before putting it on the counter.

"Ready as I'll ever be." You instruct him to just start bringing boxes downstairs and out to the car. Adam has pulled up as close as he can with the trunk of the minivan open, but it's still tiring. Once the van is full, you have to make one last trek up the stairs to lock the door. "Alright," You say, joining Adam back outside. "We'll have to make another trip, but that's almost everything."

Adam twirls his keys around his finger absentmindedly and smiles at you. "Let's get it back to our house, then." He closes the trunk.

"Our house?" You question, and he looks at you, almost a little confused, as if he said that without thinking.

The two of you get into the car. "Our house." He repeats, turning down the radio (which is playing some type of jazz music). "We're really looking forward to this, ____." He says while pulling out into the main street. One of the boxes makes a concerning noise behind you. "I hope you like the neighborhood."

"Ooh, I hope that wasn't one of my candles," You say, turning to look over the seat, even though you aren't' able to see what actually happened. "I'm looking forward to it, too." You put your phone on your lap. "I think I really will."

You pull up to the house after a comfortably silent drive. "We can bring everything in through the garage," Adam informs you as he looks over his shoulder, backing into the driveway. "Right into the guest room." So you do, walking boxes back and forth until they're all unloaded.

"Water break?" You suggest, and you stop in the kitchen to hydrate before you leave again. After another trip out to the city and the van being filled with boxes, you drop your keys in the landlord's mailbox with a satisfying clatter of metal on metal. "I'm leaving," You say, somewhat in disbelief.

Adam puts his hand on your shoulder, and you lean into him ever so slightly. "You're leaving." He says. "Take your time." You think about saying goodbye to the place in some gesture of remembrance of the time you spent there, but honestly, you don’t feel like you have to. Just the feeling of being next to one of the Maitlands has you realizing that you're more than ready to move on.

"Let's go," You grin, turning and practically running back to the car. Adam laughs and follows you. This time, when you pull up to the house, Barbara's mini cooper is parked along the curb. You see the curtains moving and the front door opens as soon as Adam starts to shift into reverse. Barbara rushes outside, beaming. She's still in her clothes from the conference, one of her nicer pantsuits.

She rushes for you as you get out of the van. "I didn't know you were coming today!" She proclaims, embracing you in a tight hug.

"You look really nice," You respond, hugging her back and trying to not sound ridiculously enamored.

Barbara pulls back and looks down at herself, fiddling with the sleeves. "Thank you," She says bashfully. "Oh, I'll go change so I can help!" She says, hurrying back inside. You turn to Adam, who's already popped the trunk and has a box in his arms.

"How many candles do you have?" He questions, raising an eyebrow and tapping his finger next to the sharpied label on the cardboard. You join him, pulling a lighter box up and out of the van.

"Probably enough," You laugh, and he just laughs at you, shaking his head. Once everything is inside, you lean against the counter with Barbara. She came downstairs to help halfway through the process, wearing jeans and a white graphic tee shirt tucked into the front. Her hair was pulled back neatly but at this point, there're a few strands loose and framing her face. You sip at the rest of your warm and mostly flat Pepsi. "I live here now," You say, the reality of it starting to settle in. "Huh.'"

"You do!" Barbara smiles and says, just as Adam comes in from the garage and joins them, pecking his wife on the lips.

"I heard talk of the new roommate?" He says, and you turn to the sink to rinse your soda can, grinning; your feelings have only grown over the past few months. There's a lot of conflict happening in your mind, and a big part of it involves the fact that you want both parts of the couple to kiss you. "____, feel free to go start unpacking. I'm going to get dinner ready."

You and Barbara retreat to the guest room – though you suppose it's _your_ room now – and she sits on the end of the bed while you sort through the boxes to find your clothes, wanting to get them into the dresser and closet before anything else. "If you need anything at all, let us know, okay?"

"Of course!" You say, folding a shirt over your knee and tucking it into the middle drawer. You pause for a moment to take a break and sit next to her. "Thank you both so much for this," You say, looking at her directly. "I care about you a lot." You fidget with your hands, watching her eyes soften, the smile lines around them deepening. "A lot."

"We care about you too." She leans over and wraps you in a one-armed hug, smelling like lavender today. "How about celebrating tonight with a little drink after dinner?"

You pull back. "That sounds wonderful."

A grin spreads over Barbara's face. "Adam gets clumsy when he's tipsy," She starts. "What has he done before… Oh! Almost broke the tv… tripped and fell over the back of the couch…" She pauses and both of you laugh. "He's making spaghetti tonight, so there's no doubt he'll bring up something about his Italian family." She giggles.

"Maybe I'll bring it up first to catch him off guard."

Adam comes into the room and knocks on the doorframe, smiling. "What're you two talking about?"

"Nothing!" You say, very convincingly, and Barbara leans against you with another laugh.

He raises his eyebrows playfully in response. "Good, because the food's ready."

You leave the clutter and half-opened boxes behind and sit together at the table, chatting casually. "I'll start looking for a job as soon as I can," You say, wiping your face with a napkin. "So I can help out with any payments around the house, groceries, all that."

Adam waves you off, taking all of your dishes to the dishwasher, and you thank him as he does. "Don't worry too much about it. Take your time getting settled in here first."

"I'm off tomorrow, so I can help you unpack some more!" Barbara suggests as Adam opens a cabinet above the fridge and takes down a bottle of champagne.

"A little bit of bubbly to celebrate our new housemate," He says with a grin.

You laugh. "Trying to get me drunk on my first night here? What irresponsible hosts," You respond, not in bad spirits. He puts the bottle on the table and retrieves three glasses for you all, sitting back down at the table after turning off the bright overhead lights.

He pours the drink and Barbara raises her glass. "To ____," She says, "And this new life together."

"Hear, hear!" Adam says, and you raise yours as well.

You stay up late into the night, slowly making it through the bottle, enjoying the conversations and laughter that ensue. "I love making pasta," Adam sighs after a particular lapse of silence, tracing a finger around the rim of his glass.

"Is that because of your Italian ancestry?" You question, looking sleepily up from the table. You've pulled the extra chair over and have propped your feet up on it. Barbara snorts and covers her mouth with her hand. Adam's jaw drops and he blinks slowly, staring at you.

"How did you know I was going to say that?" You start giggling and Barbara completely breaks into a fit of hysterics, holding her sides. Adam widens his eyes at her, but there's a huge grin on his face. "Barbara!" He exclaims.

"I _told_ you!" She says to you through her laughter. "I _told_ you he'd bring it up!"

You rest your head against the back of the chair, still chuckling a little, and tilt it to look at her. "You sure did." She looks beautiful, you can't help but notice. The light is soft on her face, accentuating her hair and her freckles. Your gaze flits to Adam, smiling despite himself at his wife, and you're filled with the same amount of admiration and care. Both of their cheeks are flushed red from the champagne – you're sure yours must be as well – and they look so endearing.

You couldn't think of a better place to be. Ever.

"I'm about ready to turn in," Adam says soon after, stretching his arms out wide and picking up the now nearly empty bottle to bring it back to the kitchen. You yawn, causing Barbara to do the same. "Gotcha," You say, and Barbara sticks her tongue out, gently pushing your arm.

Adam returns to the table and Barbara holds her arms out for him. He wraps his arms around her shoulders and kisses the top of her head, his eyes closed. You think about how natural the gesture looks and sigh wistfully before you can stop yourself. Barbara giggles. "____ deserves a hug too," She says, smiling sleepily at you and getting out of her chair.

For a second, the idea of protesting crosses your mind, but as Barbara rests her cheek against the top of your head and Adam joins her on your other side, both of them holding you, you're glad you didn't say anything. "We're glad to have you," Adam straightens up and Barbara does soon after. "Help yourself to anything you need during the night. There are extra blankets on the top shelf in the closet."

Barbara clings to him, leaning heavily against his shoulder. She nods. "We'll see you in the morning, sweetheart!" She waves a little goodbye and they head upstairs, leaving you sitting at the table alone. You'd be lying to yourself if you said you didn't sit there for many minutes before heading to your room. ( _Your_ room, god.)

You'd also be lying to yourself if you said you weren't thinking about them up until the moment you fell asleep, curled up comfortably in a bed that is so much better than the one in your old apartment.

You'd especially be lying to yourself if you said you didn't hope you'd dream of them tonight.


	8. Seasons Pass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for putting up with the fact that this took ages to come out. I haven't had the motivation to write lately, but I got my old laptop back! So hopefully chapters will be back on schedule somewhat. Enjoy! The next chapter is going to be good <33

You wake up at nine, according to the clock in the room. For a moment, you're slightly confused as to where you are, staring up at the ceiling fan while you process the situation for what seems like the millionth time. You stretch and sit up, getting up to open the curtains and let some light into the room. After making the bed, you pop into the bathroom to brush your teeth.

Almost forgetting yourself, you stop before leaving the room and pull on a random tee shirt. "Alright!" You say, steeling yourself. "Okay."

You step out into the dining room to the wonderful smell of espresso. Barbara is dressed (unsurprisingly, you're pretty sure you woke up to the coffee machine around 5 AM) and at the windowsill, using a small blue watering can to tend to a few succulents. Adam is reading the newspaper at the kitchen table, and as you walk out, he puts a mug down and looks up at you. "Morning!" There's a plate with a half-eaten piece of toast in front of him, and he's in a pair of plaid pajama pants.

You smile, happy to not be the only one in pajamas. "Morning."

He folds the paper up and puts it on the table. "How'd you sleep?"

You walk past the table and into the kitchen to get a box of cereal out of a cabinet. "Pretty well. Might take some getting used to." You open the box. "Good morning, Barb." Barbara puts down the little watering can and wipes her hands on a dish towel.

"Good morning!" She opens a cabinet and hands you a bowl. "You could probably use this."

You laugh and pour yourself some cereal, getting milk from the fridge. "It's nice to wake up in a house with other people," You say truthfully as you put everything back in its place and get a spoon. You sit across from Adam, who takes another sip of coffee. "Do you have a project to work on today?"

"Yeah," He nods, and takes a bite of toast. "It won't be a whole day's worth, hopefully. I'll stop in to see how everything is coming along."

Barbara brings her own coffee mug to the table (probably her second or third at this point) and sits between the two of them. "I can help you if you need it, though I do have some lesson plans to work on."

"Sounds great!" You say, smiling and starting to eat your cereal, looking out the kitchen window as you do so, watching leaves drift by. Eventually, Adam goes to change and retreats to the garage. When you're finished with your cereal you do the same, opening the door to your room when you're decent and cracking the window for some fresh air. 

"I'll be outside if you need me," Barbara tells you, pulling on a sweater as she heads for the front door. You acknowledge this and play some music, continuing to go through your clothes and put them away. Within an hour or so you've got all your things into the dresser and closet, and Barbara is back inside, working on something at the dining room table.

You head to the kitchen to get a cup of water, your phone in your back pocket still faintly playing music. "How's it going?"

"Oh, good!" You respond, leaning against the counter with the cup in one hand. "All my clothes are away, so it's just the miscellaneous left. Lots of candles."

Barbara sighs and taps her pen against the table. "Do you think you can help me with this?"

"Sure, what's up?" You join her, leaving the empty glass in the sink. "School stuff?"

"School stuff." She frowns, and you lean over her shoulder, looking at the papers. "I'm not sure what to do on our first day back."

Close to her face, you feel Barbara's hair brush against your cheek. In order to focus on the notes, you bite the inside of your mouth. "You've got a few options here, I guess… Which one's your favorite?"

She hums a little to herself. "I always love hearing about what they've done over the summer. I worry that they won't want to talk about that, though, especially if they don't have the best home life…"

"Well, you could give two options: one with the summer, and one with… Maybe what they wish they could've done? Let them pick?" You laugh. "I don't know much about teaching, though."

Barbara drums her fingers against the table. "I can work with that." She turns and smiles at you. "Thanks, sweetheart." You feel your face go red.

"No problem," You say, leaning away and retreating to your room. "Let me know if you need anything else!" All you can hear in your head is Barbara's voice, even as you start to open more boxes and put various trinkets and candles on shelves around the room. After a while of going through your box of books, you decide to take a break and curl up on the bed to read. You've read a few pages when there's a knock on the open door.

You look up to see Adam, lingering with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. "You look comfortable."

Smiling, you wave him in. "I might as well get used to the bed," You respond. He pulls his glasses from his shirt pocket and puts them on, sitting down next to you to squint at the cover of your book.

"Do no harm…" He reads aloud, giving you a quizzical look.

"Brain surgery," You supply, and he crooks an eyebrow with interest. "How's work?"

He makes a face of indifference, scooting back a little further onto the bed. "Oh, well enough. Just wanted to see how you were doing, and a break is a break, right?" He grins. You feel much happier at his comment, almost feeling like you need to hug your book close to your chest.

"Can I see how it's coming along?" Adam shrugs.

"Sure, if you don't mind the smell of the varnish."

"I've gotten used to it with you around," You tease, and he laughs.

"Fair enough." You dog-ear a page of your book and leave it on the bed, following him out into the garage. Along the back side of a grey tarp are three wooden drawers. "I've already made the frame and loaded it up into the van for tomorrow." He looks at them proudly.

"Great work, as usual, Ad." You say, tapping his shoulder with your knuckles, and he smiles at you. "I'm sure it'll look even better all put together. Good money for this one."

Weeks go by. Falls turns the weather cold, the plants outside of the front of the house starting to wilt. You easily fit into the routine of the household, and soon enough, it feels like you had always been there. You manage to get a job at Beulah's, tending to the plants and learning more things about caring for general greenery (much to Barbara's delight). It feels like your life is finally falling into place.

One day, on the phone with Ollie, you pace around in your bedroom, moving from sitting on the bed to anxiously messing with your hair in the mirror. "Everything just feels right," You sigh. "I don't want to ruin it." You sit down again, flopping down dramatically. "What would I even say?"

"I have no idea." There's a knock at the door.

"I have to go. I'll talk to you later!" Ollie says goodbye and hangs up the call. "You can come in!"

Barbara opens the door and immediately notices that you're fidgeting with your hands, at your cuticles. "Don't pick, it's bad for you." She smiles, tapping your hand gently. "I'm gonna make some granola. Wanna help?"

"That sounds really nice." You say, pushing your feelings down as far as possible. By the time Adam comes back from delivering his commission (the dresser) the kitchen smells wonderful, like toasted almonds and cinnamon, and you're feeling a lot better.

"Hey, you two!" He says cheerfully, hanging his coat up by the door. He comes over and pulls Barbara into a hug, kissing her cheek. "Hey, honey." She giggles and swats him with a rag.

You watch them happily, trying your best not to feel jealous. "How was the buyer?"

"It went smoothly! She loved the final product." He reaches over Barbara's shoulder and takes some from the baking sheet, an arm still looped around her waist. "Good granola," He says with a little smile, reaching out to ruffle your hair. You stick your tongue out at him and they both laugh, Adam pulling Barbara closer and resting his chin on her head.

_It's just a dumb crush_ , you tell yourself _. It'll fade eventually_.

More time passes, and winter starts to creep up on the household. You start taking time out of your schedule to look into apartments in the area. The feelings have not faded, in fact, they've only gotten worse every day that you've had to live with them. You've only noticed more and more of the little habits they have, picking up on tiny things that you wouldn't have been able to otherwise.

Adam's favorite board game is Scrabble because he's a complete and utter nerd. He can't take coffee without cream and sugar in it, and his favorite flavor of creamer to use is a tie between caramel and cinnamon. He's an extremely light sleeper and has a hard time falling back asleep after he wakes up and the sun is out. He is horrible at taking photos with his (flip) phone, and even Barbara can't identify the plants he takes pictures of for her.

Barbara makes the best fruit pies that you've ever had, especially when the filling is made from what she harvested fresh from the garden. She sleeps like a rock yet still manages to be the biggest morning person; even when school is out of session, she's up at 5 or 6 AM making coffee (which she drinks black). Her favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry, but not with the little pieces of fruit in it.

You decide one night to tell them about the apartment you've been looking the most at. You chose a Sunday evening, knowing you all have work the next day (Adam's taken on a new commission), so you won't have to face them if something goes wrong. "I've found an apartment to move into," You say casually, though you're inspecting the grain on the table like your life depends on it.

"That's great!" Barbara says, but her voice sounds lackluster. You look up to see her pushing a carrot around on her plate in little circles. She smiles at you and straightens her back a little, Adam discreetly patting her shoulder (but not subtly enough for you to miss it).

He gives you a kind look, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "You'll have to show us more about it tomorrow after work!"

Their looks make a pit form at the bottom of your stomach. You can't read their expressions fully; are they angry? Upset? "I'd love to!" You finish dinner in uncomfortable and uncertain silence. As you start to clean up, putting leftovers in containers and then into the fridge and rinsing dishes, you speak up again. "Did I say something wrong?" You ask softly, and Barbara looks up from the Tupperware drawer. Adam dries his hands on a towel and gives you a little smile.

"I think we're just going to miss you a lot, ____." He says, glancing at Barbara, who nods. You close your eyes for a long second. This isn't going to be an easy transition, but you can't just stay with them forever.

"I'll miss you too,” You admit, messing with the hems of your sleeves and holding your arms open slightly. Barbara takes the hint first, Adam right behind her, the three of you hugging in the middle of the kitchen. Adam rests his cheek against the top of your head and Barbara puts her chin on your shoulder. “I’ll visit,” You say. “As much as possible.”

Spirits running low, the three of you go to bed early that night. Your sleep is fitful and unwilling. You venture out into the dining room to find Adam already there, holding the curtains to the side and looking out at the moon. “Can’t sleep?” You ask softly, and he looks over to you.

“Barb’s out like a light,” He laughs quietly, letting the fabric fall back into place. “Care for some warm milk?” You nod and pull a chair over next to the kitchen counter, resting an arm down and your head on top of it. “I hope we didn’t discourage you from the apartment,” He comments, getting two mugs from the counter and some other things from various places.

You shake your head. “Not at all,” You say, even though you’ve been having second thoughts since before you even brought it up to them. You know you’ll still need to save more money, of course, but you’d stay for… Forever, if you could. Though you’d never admit that aloud.

Adam pours milk into the mugs and stirs in some sugar and vanilla extract before putting them in the microwave. “It’s just this old couple’s worries,” He jokes, and you smile a little, sitting up and leaning into your palm. The dull hum of the microwave takes over the silence. “I don’t think we realized that we were missing something until you came and filled the gap.” He says, looking at you, his hands gripping the side of the counter so tightly that his knuckles are turning white.

“I knew something wasn’t there, but I didn’t know _what_ ,” You respond. “Turns out…” You trail off, the unspoken ‘ _It was you’_ hanging in the air. The microwave beeps loudly and you both jump a little, startled from the sudden noise.

He sprinkles a spice on top of the drinks. “Nutmeg,” He supplies when he notices you looking. “Makes it perfect.” You thank him as he slides the mug over the counter and you take it. “I’m going to sit in the living room,” He tells you, and you nod. “Have a good night.” He rests a comforting hand on your shoulder for a second before taking his own drink and heading up the stairs.

You look out the window at the moon, which is now shining through the little gap left in the drapes. After you finish your milk you rinse the mug and put it in the dishwasher. Your return to bed is comfortable, despite the lingering thoughts that you don’t know how much longer you’ll be staying in this room. Warm, slightly happier, much less worried, you’re able to fall asleep.

Barbara has already gone to work by the time your alarm goes off the next morning, beeping obnoxiously on your nightstand. “Alright,” You grumble at it. “Alright, I’m moving.” After your shower and a quick breakfast, you determine that Adam is in the garage working by the sound of the buzz saw starting up. You pop your head in before you leave for work and give him a wave.

He looks up at you, gloves and goggles on, and waves back with a smile before returning his concentration to the huge piece of wood he’s working at.

The walk to work is nice. It gives you time to decompress and think about everything that’s been going on: not to mention analyze the conversation you had with Adam the night previous with a clear head. You’ve given up trying to deny your romantic feelings, and everything he said just fills your chest with a pleasant warmth. “Morning, Julie,” You say as you open the door to the shop. A little bell rings and your coworker grins at you.

“Hey, ____.” She says, and after a small conversation, you head to the backroom to take stock of the new plants (a delivery had occurred that morning before you arrived). Around noon, just when you’re going to take a break and walk to get lunch, she pops her head into the staff room. “Someone dropped this off for you,” She says, and hands you a brown paper bag.

“Thanks, Jules,” You smile, noticing a little piece of paper taped to the front and sitting down to gently tear it off. It’s folded up and reads: ‘ _Noticed you didn’t make lunch. Come right home after work, we have a surprise! — A’._ You recognize Adam’s messy scrawl from the start, and when you get to the end you notice that he’s drawn a little smiley face next to his signature.

A homemade lunch (especially from someone you care about) is immediately better than anything you could’ve bought at Panera. It’s just a sandwich, some fruit, and a couple of sandwich cookies, but the fact that he took time to make it for you means you can’t stop smiling all while taking your break.

The rest of the day flies by. You clock out a little early and say hello to the woman who’s taking over the night shift (you don’t know her very well yet, but she was here when you first came into the store). The wind has picked up and it’s a bit colder than it was that morning; you find yourself retreating into your jacket and holding your scarf close to your face to stay warm.

You unlock the front door and kick off your shoes, hanging up your coat. “I’m home!” You call into the house, and Barbara appears at the bottom of the stairs, holding a vase of flowers.

“You’re early!” She says, looking surprised and somewhat panicked.

“Yeah, someone wanted to pick up the end of my shift. What’s… Going on?” You look around, noticing a few pots on the stove and evidence of someone cooking. “It smells great in here.”

Barbara puts the vase on the table carefully and shepherds you into your bedroom. “Give us a little more time!” She says. “We weren’t expecting you for another half hour. And don’t worry, it’s something good!” She briefly takes and squeezes your hands. “Relax!” She insists, shutting the door behind her as she returns to the dining room. “She’s home!” You hear her call as she walks away from the bedroom, and Adam responds with something you can’t make out.

Bewildered, you decide to change out of your stiff work clothes and into some more comfortable attire before falling into bed and curling up with a yawn. Maybe you can get a little nap in before whatever her housemates are doing is over. Right before you’re about to doze off, there’s a knock on the door. “Mm.” You sigh, rubbing your eyes. “Come in,” You call, sitting up.

Adam smiles at you and you sleepily return the gesture. “Dinner’s ready.”

Still dazed, you follow him out of your room to see that they’ve completely changed the atmosphere of the place. The overhead lights are dimmed, there’re candles adorning the dining table around the lovely vase of flowers that Barbara had with her earlier. The food is already served and there are glasses of red wine poured and ready next to it. “Chicken rigatoni,” Barbara smiles, looking radiant in the candlelight. “What you made for us the first time we came over.” Adam stands next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. She looks up at him, and then back to you.

“Oh, it’s beautiful…” You trail off, completely taken aback. The couple shares another glance.

“Come on and eat!” Adam says. “We have to tell you something.”


End file.
